The prophet Joel foretold it, and Pentecost introduced it in the Christian Church. For of Pentecost Peter said: “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:16-18.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 323.2

And of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church, it is written: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11, 12. “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; ... to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; ... And God hath set some in the church, first apostles secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, etc.” 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, 28. And, “Despise not prophesying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:20. Of these gifts, the gift of prophesying is chiefly to be desire. And so it is written: “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.... I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.” “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:1, 4, 5.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.1

All may prophesy. For it is written: “I would that ye all spake with tongues; but rather that ye prophesied.” “If all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.... For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.” 1 Corinthians 14:5, 24, 25, 31.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.2

The inspired definition of prophesying is given. Thus: “He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” 1 Corinthians 14:3. Note, however, that this is not a mere casual speaking in social meeting, nor is it even the preaching of a sermon. Prophesying is a gift of the Spirit; therefore it is the speaking to men “unto edification, and exhortation, and comfort,” by the gift, the power, the inspiration, of the Holy Spirit. This speaking by the gift and inspiration of the Spirit, could also be manifested in the foretelling of events as we shall see. Such is the truth and the definition, by the Scriptures, as to prophesying, in the New Testament and in the New Testament Church.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.3

The first definite mention of prophets in the New Testament Church, that is after Pentecost, is in Acts 11:27, 28: “In these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world; which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cesar.”MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.4

The next is in Acts 13:1: “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.”MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.5

The next is in Acts 15:32. Judas and Silas were the “chosen men” selected by “the apostles and elders with the whole church” at Jerusalem to carry to Antioch the letter that was sent from them to Antioch. When the letter had been read to the brethren at Antioch, “they rejoiced for the consolation. And Judas and Silas, being prophets themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.”MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.6

The next is in Acts 21:4, where, though neither the word prophet nor prophesying is used, it is plainly a manifestation of the gift of prophecy. Paul and his company came to Tyre; “and finding disciples, we tarried there seven days; who said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.” Paul, however, continued his journey toward Jerusalem.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.7

The next is in Acts 21:9-11. When Paul and his company came to Cesarea, to the house of Philip the evangelist, it is written: “The same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said: Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” And this came to pass as we read in the same chapter, verse 27, and onward in the following chapters.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.8

Those are all the instances that are recorded in which the gift of prophecy was actually manifested among the disciples in the New Testament Church, excepting, of course, in the writings of the apostles in their epistles and in the book of Revelation, and when baptized with the Holy Ghost as in Acts 19:6. This is not in any sense to imply that these are by any means all the instances of the manifestation of the gift; it is only to state the fact that those instances are all that are recorded.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.9

These, however, were written for our learning. What, then, is given in these things for us to learn?MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.10

First, as already given, the definition of “prophesying,” in the plain words of Scripture: “He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” That, being the definition and instruction of the Spirit of inspiration himself, can never be denied, nor qualified, nor modified.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.11

Second: That the gift to prophesy is chiefly to be desired, and that all may have this gift: “Desire spiritual gifts; but rather that ye may prophesy.... For ye may all prophesy.” And “If all prophesy, he that cometh in will report that God is in you of a truth.”MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.12

Third: That this speaking by the gift and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “unto edification, and exhortation, and comfort” may also be manifested in the foretelling of events, as the Spirit may will and by whom he may choose. For in the instances recorded, both these phases of the manifestation of the gift are clearly indicated.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.13

In Agabus the gift was clearly manifested in the foretelling of events.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.14

Also in the disciples at Tyre, the gift partook of this characteristic; for, though the record does not say that they told Paul what would befall him at Jerusalem, as did Agabus, they did tell him “through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.” Thus, though it was not a revelation of just what would come, it was a revelation that there was something to be avoided, though just what it was might not be specified.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.15

The other instances are evidently manifestations of the gift “unto edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” For though Philip had four daughters “which did prophesy,” and though Paul and his company were at Philip’s house “many days” where these daughters were, yet none of them said anything to Paul about the danger before him, or what would be done with him at Jerusalem. Nothing of this was told till “there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus.” But “when he was come,” then the thing was foretold.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.16

Likewise in the cases of Judas and Silas it is evidently this manifestation of the gift “unto edification, and exhortation, and comfort,” and not in the foretelling of events. For it is plainly stated that when they delivered the letter at Antioch, “they exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.”MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.17

In addition to this indication we have the fact that Silas accompanied Paul in his preaching through Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece even to Corinth, through many remarkable vicissitudes and notable crisis, yet in all the story there is not even a hint that in a single instance there was manifested by Silas the gift of prophecy in foretelling any event. Yet Silas was a prophet.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.18

There is not only no hint that he did foretell, or foreknow, but there are plain indications that he did not do so. For Silas was with Paul in Asia Minor where, forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and the Spirit suffered them not to go into Bithynia, they came down to Troas and did not know what next to do. Yet they were not told by Silas the prophet what next they should do, but “a vision appeared to Paul in the night” in which there stood a man of Macedonia saying, “Come over and help us. And after he had seen the vision, we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to spread the gospel unto them.” Acts 16:6-10.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 324.19

Again: Silas was with Paul at Corinth. Yet though he was a prophet, it was not by him that the Lord told Paul to stay in Corinth. But “then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” Acts 18:5, 9, 10.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.1

Now if Silas had the gift of prophecy, in the sense of foreknowing and foretelling, then when he was the personal and chosen traveling companion and fellow worker of Paul, why should it not have been known and told by him what they should do when they came to Troas, and that Paul should stay in Corinth, instead of these things having to be made known to Paul by the Lord himself in visions in the night.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.2

These facts certainly indicate that Judas and Silas and Philip’s daughters were prophets in the sense of speaking “unto men edification, and exhortation, and comfort,” and not in the sense of foreknowing and foretelling events; while Agabus and the disciples at Tyre had the gift in the sense of foreknowing and foretelling.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.3

Fourth: There is another item that is plainly for our consideration and learning. Judas and Silas were prophets. We first meet them as “chief men among the brethren at Jerusalem” in the meeting that discussed the question of circumcision about which Paul and Barnabas came up from Antioch to Jerusalem. They were “chosen” by the “apostles and elders with the whole church” in that meeting to go to Antioch and tell “by mouth” as also to carry the letter in which was written the message sent by that assembly to the brethren at Antioch.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.4

At that time two meetings were held in Jerusalem by the church and the apostles and elders, with the brethren from Antioch. At both these meetings the question was discussed, and at the second meeting there was “much disputing.” And these two men who were prophets were there, and were “chief men among the brethren.” And yet the question at issue, the question that had caused “no small dissension and disputation” at Antioch, and over which there was “much disputing” in the meeting at Jerusalem,—this question was not settled in that meeting by those prophets nor by anything that they said or did. They are not even mentioned in any connection with the question or with the meeting, till the matter is all settled and the word is to be sent to Antioch. And even then they are not mentioned as prophets till they have come to Antioch, where, as “being prophets themselves” they “exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.”MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.5

Again: After those meetings in Jerusalem, at which that question was settled, Peter and “certain who came from James,” at Antioch, strongly believed the same old issue and showed that with them it was not yet settled. And “there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets.” Yet neither then did any prophet deliver any revelation to decide the matter or to settle the question. No; Paul withstood Peter to the face and spoke openly before them all “the truth of the gospel”; and the Holy Spirit himself settled the question.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.6

Fifth: There is yet another thing in the record that is for our consideration and learning. The disciples at Tyre “said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.” But Paul went on the way to Jerusalem. As he was on the way he came to the house of Philip at Cesarea, where the prophet Agabus met him and told him how the Jews at Jerusalem would bind him and deliver him to the Gentiles.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.7

From these revelations of the Spirit, those who were of Paul’s company, as well as the brethren at Cesarea, understood that it was the mind of the Spirit that Paul should not go to Jerusalem. They therefore all “besought him not to go up to Jerusalem,” yet he would not listen to this, but exclaimed, “What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.” Acts 21:4, 10-14.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.8

It is not for any man to say whether Paul did right or did wrong, in that matter. With any question of the right or wrong of it we can have nothing at all to do. But the record and the facts are for our learning. Therefore—MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.9

.(a) It is plain and certain that the disciples at Tyre did say to Paul, and did say it “through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.”MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.10

.(b) It is plain and certain that the prophet Agabus did say to him, “Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle.”MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.11

.(c) It is plain and certain that all who were with him understood that it was the mind and counsel of the Holy Spirit that he should not go to Jerusalem, and therefore they besought him not to go.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.12

.(d) It is plain and certain that he would not be thus persuaded, and did go straight on to Jerusalem.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.13

(e) And it is equally plain and certain that after all this neither the Christians nor the prophets separated from Paul, nor ostracized him, nor denounced him, nor whispered against him, as one who “didn’t believe the testimonies,” or as one who disregarded the counsel of the Lord,” now anything of the kind. No. They simply said, “The will of the Lord be done,” and left it there, with Paul and the Lord. Nor yet did the Lord separate from him, nor denounce him, nor require his children to separate from him. Neither did the Holy Spirit turn against him and discredit him among his brethren and try to break him down and destroy his life’s work.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.14

No, no, no. But when he would not be persuaded, but would go up to Jerusalem, the brethren went with him, and the Holy Spirit and the Lord went with him. And when all came upon him, against which the brethren had tried their best to persuade him, still, at least, some of the brethren, and the Holy Spirit, and the Lord Jesus, and the Heavenly Father, remained with him, and comforted him, and strengthened him and preserved him and delivered him.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.15

It is true that afterward, whether for this cause or some other equally groundless, all those that were in Asia turned away from him. And at nearly the very last, at one time, no man stood with him, but all men forsook him. But they had far better all have stood with him through all to the very end; for the Lord stood with him and strengthened him, and delivered him from every evil work, and preserved him unto his Heavenly kingdom. 2 Timothy 1:15; 4:16-18.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.16

Thus in the New Testament Church the gift of prophecy was and is to be manifested both in “men’s speaking unto edification, and exhortation, and comfort,” and in men’s foreknowing and foretelling. In the first phase, it is chiefly to be desired by all believers, and all may have the gift and all may prophesy. In the second phase, not all could be prophets, but only such as God should choose and set in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:28, 29, 17, 18.MEDM October 9, 1907, page 325.17

September 25, 1907

October 30, 1907