Suffolk Sean said:
What is the difference between the gift of prophecy and the office of prophet?
Excerpt from " The Ministry Gifts" Kenneth E. Hagin
What constitutes the office of a prophet?
1. Commenting on what the New Testament Greek says concerning the phophet, an outstanding Greek scholar said, " He speaks from the impulse of a
sudden inspiration, from the light of a sudden revelation at the moment. The idea of speaking from sudden revelation seems here to be fundamental, as relating either to future events, or the mind of the Spirit in General."
A phophet speaks by direct divine inspiration, an immediate revelation - not something he thought of, but something given at the spur of the moment by sudden inpiration.
2. To stand in the office of a phophet,
one is first of all a minister of the Gospel, seperated and called to the ministry with the calling of God upon his life. The prophet is a
ministry gift.
a. A prophet is first of all a preacher or a teacher of the Word.
b. There are no prophets among what we call the laity because a phophet
is one who is called to the full-time ministry.
c. A layman may prophesy, but you are not a prophet just because you
phophesy.
1. Paul encouraged the entire church at Corinth to covet phophesy
(1 Cor. 14:1)
Then he gives the definition of what the simple gift of phophecy is:
" But he that phophesieth speaketh, unto men to edification, and
exhortation, and comfort" (v.3)
Yet, the answer to the question " Are all phophets?" is obviously
" No" (1 Cor. 12:29).
2.
Distinguish, between propheysying - though a prophet might
prophesy -
and the ministry of the prophet.
Acts 21:8-11
8 The next day, we who were in Paul's company departed and came unto Caesarea, and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and lodged with him.
9 And this man had four daughters, virgins, who prophesied.
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus.
11 And when he had 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 who owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"
The four daughters of Philip did prophesy. That means they were
operating in the simple gif of prophecy, "speaking unto men to
edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1Cor. 14:3)
Agabus was a phophet. And although a prophet may prophesy
what is revealed at the moment, Agabus is not prophesying here.
He is just telling what the Holy Spirit had previously revealed to him.
3. To stand in the office of phophet, one must have a more consistent manifestation of at least two of the revelation gifts (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, or discerning of spirits)
plus prophecy.
a. The three revelation gifts are:
1.
Word of wisdom: Supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God
concerning the divine purpose in the mind and will of God.
Always speaks to the future.
2.
Word of knowledge: Supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God
of facts in the mind of God concerning people, places, things.
Always present or past tense.
3.
Discerning of Spirits: Supernatural insight into the realm of
spirits. Seeing and hearing in the spirit realm.
b. Any Spirit-filled believer might have occasional manifestations of
these gifts as the Spirit wills and as the need arises. But a prophet
would also stand in the place of preacher or teacher of the Word and
would have a more consistent manifestation of them. The difference
is that a prophet has a ministry along this line. It becomes a ministry
gift on a higher level.
c. A prophet is one who has visions and revelations.
( then goes on to explain types of visions)
Reverend Hagin always included this statement anytime he spoke of the gift of prophesy.
Put the Word first. Even though there are supernatural manifestations in your life, don't build your ministry on supernatural manifestations.
Invite them and have them. But
build your ministry on the Word. Even if you're a prophet, build your ministry on the Word.
Then he goes on to explain that if you build your ministry on prophecy you end up feeling like you have to perform and end up in areas that aren't in line with the Word, etc.
Hope you don't mind me quoting Brother Hagin, he said it better than I could.
