Testing the Spirits (and Yourself)

Judging Prophecy in the New Testament

In my last post, I took a look at Deuteronomy 18:22 and how is not used in the New Testament to test prophecy. Today I will explore the emphasis that is placed on the spirit behind prophecy.

“Having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.”
- Acts 21:4

"As we stayed there some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, and taking Paul's girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."
- Acts 21:10-11

Notice that Paul doesn’t say, “Thanks Agabus, but if this doesn’t come to pass, then you’re a false prophet”. He also doesn’t say, “Hey Agabus, I’ll believe your prophecy when you perform a sign to confirm it.” It’s interesting that a prophecy is never delivered as “Thus saith the Holy Spirit” in the Old Testament and a prophecy is never delivered as “Thus saith the Lord” in the New Testament. Also, in the Old Testament, “The Word of the Lord” usually comes to the prophet but it’s not described in those terms in the New Testament:

The Spirit said to Philip, "Go near, and join yourself to this chariot."
- Acts 8:29

As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them."
- Acts 13:2

The gifts are not only given through the spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8) but they validate the “Word of the Lord”.

"God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?"
- Hebrews 2:4

So the gift of prophecy is used to confirm the "Word of the Lord" and even though signs were also used to validate the Gospel message, they are never recommended as a device to test prophecy in the Church:

"For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones."
- Matthew 24:24

So false prophets will do signs but Jesus refuses to give them:

But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet."
- Matthew 12:39

"Then answered the Jews, and said to him, What sign showest thou to us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this to them: and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken."
- John 2:18-22

These two signs that Jesus does give, refer to his death and resurrection, which did come to pass and thus, validated his message. However, he gave many signs to his disciples:

"Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book;"
- John 20:30

Perhaps many in the church today don’t see the wonders of God because they resist them like the Jews resisted Jesus and thus, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (no pun intended).

Without the use of signs to validate prophecy and recognizing the emphasis of the spirit in prophecy, John writes this:

"Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit who doesn't confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already."
- 1 John 4:1-3

Paul echoes the same idea:

Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God's Spirit says, "Jesus is accursed." No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," but by the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 12:3

In 1 Corinthians Paul placed “discerning spirits” next to prophecy, just like he puts speaking in tongues next to interpreting them.

“and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:10

It’s important to realize that the focus here is on what the person says when they are prophesying and is not dealing with the person’s personal belief or doctrine. So John and Paul are saying to take what the spirit says during the prophecy and compare it to the “Word of the Lord” that’s already been validated. We can look to the Bible to find this, but beware:

"You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life."
- John 5:39-40

The question quickly becomes, if you aren’t receiving the word that’s already been given, how will you receive a word that given by prophecy in the Church today?

Also, there may be some words from God that appear to contradict His previous words:

He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. A voice came to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat!" But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." A voice came to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean." This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.
- Acts 10:11-16

Old Testament Law strictly forbade the eating of certain animals.

False teachers in Ephesus were saying that the salvation of the Gentiles was a direct contradiction to previously given prophecies but Paul responds:

“and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”
- Ephesians 3:9

So we must check prophecy against Scripture but we must also realize our understanding of Scripture may not be infallible. It is sometimes our own hearts that keep us from understanding. Paul makes a great point when the Corinthians were looking for proof that his message was correct:

"seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you."
- 2 Corinthians 13:3

Paul responds to this by saying:

"Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified."
- 2 Corinthians 13:5

So perhaps the best way to test prophecy, is to test yourself first.

Deuteronomy 18:22 and Prophecy

Can We Use It To Test Prophecy?

In my last post I took a look at why one should not use 1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 as a basis for testing prophecy. In this post, I’ll take a look at Deuteronomy 18:22.

“When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”
-Deuteronomy 18:22

Many use this as a standard to judge prophecy today. They say any prophecy that doesn’t come true is a false prophecy and the person who gave it is therefore, a false prophet. The problem with this is that one doesn’t know if the prophecy is true until after it happens. If one doesn’t take heed of the prophecy and it does happen, then one is guilty of not listening to the Word of the Lord. The problem is compounded if the prophecy pertains to something far into the future and one may not be able to see whether it comes to pass in their lifetime.

This problem is solved by the use of “signs”. In order to validate what a prophet was saying, a sign was often given. Moses was given the leprous hand and the staff/snake as signs to validate his message. However, sometimes a prophecy of a shorter time frame was used as a “sign” to validate a prophecy of a longer time frame. Isaiah offers a good example:

“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. “‘This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.
-Isaiah 38:6-8

However, the validity of signs was qualified in Deuteronomy:

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
-Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Signs in the New Testament

Signs are never demanded for prophecy in the New Testament except for one prophecy: The message of Jesus. Just like the “Word of the Lord” came to prophets in the Old Testament, so too did Jesus speak the “Word of the Lord” and, in fact, John calls Jesus himself to be the “Word”. And the apostles declared this “Word of the Lord”:

“The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.”
- Acts 13:49

This is why it’s such a big deal that Jesus and the apostles performed signs and wonders. It’s not just a display of God’s power but the validation of the message they were declaring. Jeremiah gives us insight into why the Jews were so opposed to the gospel message. During a showdown with a false prophet, Jeremiah invokes Deuteronomy 18:22 but with one qualifier:

”But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true.”
Jeremiah 28:9

Jeremiah says only the prophet who prophecies peace is subject to Deaut. 18:22. This is exactly what Jesus and the disciples were declaring. Because of certain Old Testament prophecies, the Jews expected that God would destroy the Gentiles, but Jesus and the apostles declared peace and salvation to the Gentiles. That’s why the Jews were so adamant about demanding signs.

“For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom”
- 1 Corinthians 1:22

I think it’s interesting that the Church in the New Testament is never exhorted to use Deaut 18:22 to test prophecy. Is New Testament prophecy somehow different than Old Testament prophecy? Well, we do know there are different types of prophecy in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

Miriam, Deborah, David, Hannah, Mary, and Zechariah give us examples of prophetic songs, which consist of praising God (although some have predictive elements).

Another type of prophecy consist of revealing someone's heart or about their life. I believe this is the type of prophecy that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 13 and we also see Jesus give an example of this type:

The woman answered, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
- John 4:17-19

One cannot easily apply Deaut. 18:22 to these types of prophecies, since there are no predictions to confirm. It appears that some prophecies are given without the person realizing they are prophesying:

But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." Now he didn't say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
- John 11:49-52

In my next post, I’ll take a look at one of the characteristics of New Testament prophecies and what I believe is the correct way to test prophecy.

Judging and Testing Prophecy

One should NOT use 1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 to support the idea of testing prophecy

Paul writes the Corinthians and addresses some issues about how the Church should operate when they meet together. One of the issues was the use of the gift of prophecy and Paul writes:

“Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.”
-1 Corinthians 14:29

Now this verse has relevance for those who believe the gift of prophecy still exists in the church today. It is held up by many charismatics as an example of what to do with prophecy when it is delivered. It is even used to prove that we should not expect the gift of prophecy in the church today to always be accurate but that the church must judge to determine if it is. My point here is not to discuss the accuracy of prophecy in the church today, but simply to show that the verses in question should not be used in that argument. The assumption when reading 1 Corinthians 14:29 is that the thing that is to be judged is the prophecy that was spoken. However, given the context of Paul’s letter, I don’t believe that to be true. Have a look at what Paul writes just a few verses earlier:

“But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all”
-1 Corinthians 14:24

So it’s not the prophecy that is being judged but the one that is being prophesied to. I believe this to be the case for both verse 24 and verse 29.

Let’s take a look at another verse that is used to support the idea of judging/testing prophecy:

“Do not despise prophecies, prove all things; hold fast that which is good;”
-1 Thessalonians 5:20-21

Again, the assumption here is that the things that should be proved are the prophecies. However, if we take a look at the only thing being proved in 1 Thessalonians, it was Paul’s teachings:

“For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.”
-1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

The Greek word used for “approved” and “tests” is the same Greek word used for “prove” in Thess. 5:21 (dokimazō). There was some question as to the validity of Paul’s teachings in the Thessalonian church. Paul responds by implying that being proved by man is not important but being proved by God is. Paul also mentions that his heart is proved in contrast to having his teachings proved.

Another question that we need to ask is, why were the Thessalonians despising prophecy anyway? Again, we need to look at the context of the letter. If the prophecies that Paul is referring to were prophecies being given by those in the church, then we would expect to find Paul dealing with that issue in the letter, much like he did in 1 Corinthians 13. However, we do not find any evidence of this. The only prophecy that Paul deals with in 1 Thessalonians is Old Testament prophecy, namely, Isaiah:

“You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness, so then let's not sleep, as the rest do, but let's watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation.”
-1Thessalonians 5:5-8

Paul is making an allusion to the light/darkness theme that runs throughout Isaiah:

“yes, he says, ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.’”
-Isaiah 49:6 (See also Isaiah 2:5, 6:10, 8:20, 35:5, 42:6-7, 43:8, 44:18, 59:9, 60:1)

He is also making an allusion to the breastplate and helmet mentioned in Isaiah:

“He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.”
-Isaiah 59:17

So the Thessalonians were despising Isaiah’s prophecies because false teachers in the church were using Isaiah to say that the Gentiles were in darkness and that God would come in his breastplate, helmet, etc. to destroy them. Since the Thessalonian church was made up of largely Gentiles, this didn’t sit well with them.

Paul counters the false teachers by making the allusions to Isaiah and then saying:

“For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
-1 Thessalonians 5:9

So when Paul says “prove all things” he is saying, don’t just prove his teachings but the teachings of the false teachers as well. Prove all teachings.

If 1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 can’t be used to as guidelines for prophecy then what Scriptures can be used? Many would point to Deuteronomy 18:22. I’ll take a look at that verse in my next post.