“To prophesy” in Corinth

The crucial passage in the discussion of New Testament prophets is 1 Corinthians 14. This letter was written in the mid-50s of the first century A.D. ^{28Donald Guthrie suggests the spring of a.d. 57. New Testament Introduction (Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 1970), 441.} It is interesting to note that in this letter, written from Ephesus, there are a number of references to prophets but no reference to elders or bishops, whereas in the Pastoral Epistles, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus, written around A.D. 63 and later, there are many references to elders and bishops but not one reference to prophets.UEGW 234.2

In Corinth, those who claimed to be prophets seem to have been vocal in the church at that time, as they were probably in other churches. There were significant problems in Corinth that are addressed by Paul. These include the so-called prophets present in that church. There are legitimate prophets in the New Testament. In Acts 13:1 we hear about the church in Antioch in which there were several prophets. During one of their church services the Holy Spirit spoke to one (or more?) of the prophets and said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (verse 2, NASB). The record suggests that there were no apostles present; this was the local body of believers at worship, some of whom were prophets.UEGW 234.3

Some view the “prophets” in 1 Corinthians 14 to be true prophets, whereas others see them as people sharing a “prophetic” message in a more preaching or exhorting role while not necessarily being prophets (see chapter 1, “The Gift of Prophecy in Scripture”). In either event, Paul gives four regulations for prophesying in 1 Corinthians 14:29-33: (1) only two or three were to speak on any one occasion; (2) the other “prophets,” or the whole congregation, were to judge what was said; (3) if someone else had a revelation, the first speaker was to yield to him; and (4) each “prophet” was to speak in turn. ^{29Many scholars understand the Greek word propheteuo in this context to mean “preaching” or “teaching” rather than prophesying. Anthony C. Thiselton says, “We shall argue that here prophecy amounts to healthy preaching, proclamation, or teaching which is pastorally applied for the appropriation of gospel truth and gospel promise, in their own context of situations, to help others” The First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000), 1084. See also Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985), 1056; William F. Orr and James Arthur Walther, 1 Corinthians, Anchor Bible (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1976), 306; Margaret E. Thrall, 1 and 2 Corinthians, The Cambridge Bible Commentary (Cambridge: University Press, 1965), 97; and Adam Clarke, “Romans to Revelation” Clarke’s Commentary (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, n.d.), 273, 274. For the purpose of this chapter, we will assume that “prophecy” in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians refers to inspired prophecy, not preaching..}UEGW 234.4

The second regulation is of crucial importance. Grudem claims that 1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21do not refer to testing true prophets from false prophets, or even evaluating the “prophetic” messages of other believers, but to the judging of the messages of true prophets. “Each prophecy might have both true and false elements in it. . . . The congregation would simply evaluate the prophecy and form opinions about it. Some of it might be very valuable and some of it not.” ^{30Wayne Grudem, cited in Bradford, More Than a Prophet, 80.} Similarly, F. W. Grosheide argues that “even if a prophetic utterance is correct, inspired by the Spirit of God, the congregation has the duty to ‘discern’ what must be done with such an utterance, namely whether it is of value for the church.” ^{31F. W. Grosheide, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1953), 338.} He then refers to the incident in Acts 21:10-14 and claims that Paul hears the word of the Spirit, uttered by the mouth of Agabus, yet “he does not obey it but travels to Jerusalem.” ^32Ibid.UEGW 235.1

However, nowhere does Agabus say to Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem. Luke says,UEGW 235.2

And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, “So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”‘ Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-12).UEGW 235.3

Agabus under inspiration told Paul what would happen, he gave a prophecy; the prophecy did not include the admonition not to go to Jerusalem. It was Luke and those present who beseeched Paul not to go to Jerusalem. “But Paul would not swerve from the path of duty. He would follow Christ if need be to prison and to death.” ^{33EGW, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press®, 1911), 397.} Paul was not disobedient to any of God’s directives.UEGW 235.4

Grudem uses the Revised Standard and New International versions to support his contention; the Revised Standard Version translates 1 Corinthians 14:29as “let the others weigh what is said.” ^{34Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today, 54, 55, 57, 163, 188, 287, 316. The same wording is found in the English Standard Version and the New Jerusalem Bible.} The Greek text, however, does not have the phrase “what is said.” Thus “a principle exegetical argument for a different kind of prophecy, a fallible prophecy whose ‘good’ elements must be separated from its ‘bad,’ arises from wording that is not found in Scripture.” ^{35O. Palmer Robertson, The Final Word: A Biblical Response to the Case for Tongues and Prophecy Today (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1993), 98.} A more faithful translation of the original text is found in the New American Standard Bible, which says, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.”UEGW 235.5