Reading Paul, I found interesting comment he had made.
1Corinthians 14.1
1.Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.
I read this verse many times before, but it never occurs to me how deep the meaning can go in his words. In Paul’s opinion the gift of prophesy seem to be the most desirable and important gift a Christian can have, and I completely accepted and respect his opinion.
Personally, I would rather have the gift of healing than of prophesy, because not everyone can understand prophesy, and as it often happen, those who heard the prophesy usually will never see it to be fulfilled.
But the gift of healing in my view is much more evident, revealing, and immediate. The instant action of healing produces not only the benefit of cure, and joy, and happiness, but also produces great appreciation, unshakable faith in the Lord’s power, and also reveals instantly the mercy and the glory of the Lord in all its fullness.
Concerning prophets who prophesied, their life had been extremely hard, difficult, and dangerous. When I studied the prophets of Old and New Testaments, I found that some prophets actually lived well (Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Nathan, and some others), and some of them even have been quite wealthy.
Among them, the prophet Elisha, even performed similar miracles as Jesus Christ did when He fed large crowds (Elisha. 2Kings 4.42-44).
Some other prophets have been extremely poor and lived in poverty, some prophets achieved their goals, and some fail and lost their lives (1Kings 13.1-32), some of them endured to the end, and some did not succeeded.
Prophets lives have been affected by their work on all levels, on social, political, material, and most important of all on personal level as well.
Zodhiates, editor of KSB Bible, made very interesting comments and notes on some of the prophets of GOD, he wrote:
“Note on Isaiah 8.3-4 and Ezekiel 24.15-24. Being a prophet often greatly affected these servants' personal family life.
GOD could use such simple functions as the naming of a child to carry out His purpose (Isaiah 8.3-4).
For Hosea, there was a need to have him take a wife of harlotry (Hosea 1.1-9, 3.1-5. A.G.), but for Jeremiah, it was best that he not marry at all (Jeremiah 16.1-2-4. A.G).
In Ezekiel's case, he was forbidden to mourn the death of his wife publicly, as a sign to his fellow captives in Babylon that when they would get word shortly that Jerusalem had fallen, they were not to show public anguish.” KSB, Spiros Zodhiates. P-1114.
Of course being a prophet of GOD is a great honor, but how many actually can succeed in such difficult, dangerous, and demanding task, it is truly requires a power of very strong personal will and absolute faith in the Lord.
1Corinthians 14.1
1.Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.
I read this verse many times before, but it never occurs to me how deep the meaning can go in his words. In Paul’s opinion the gift of prophesy seem to be the most desirable and important gift a Christian can have, and I completely accepted and respect his opinion.
Personally, I would rather have the gift of healing than of prophesy, because not everyone can understand prophesy, and as it often happen, those who heard the prophesy usually will never see it to be fulfilled.
But the gift of healing in my view is much more evident, revealing, and immediate. The instant action of healing produces not only the benefit of cure, and joy, and happiness, but also produces great appreciation, unshakable faith in the Lord’s power, and also reveals instantly the mercy and the glory of the Lord in all its fullness.
Concerning prophets who prophesied, their life had been extremely hard, difficult, and dangerous. When I studied the prophets of Old and New Testaments, I found that some prophets actually lived well (Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Nathan, and some others), and some of them even have been quite wealthy.
Among them, the prophet Elisha, even performed similar miracles as Jesus Christ did when He fed large crowds (Elisha. 2Kings 4.42-44).
Some other prophets have been extremely poor and lived in poverty, some prophets achieved their goals, and some fail and lost their lives (1Kings 13.1-32), some of them endured to the end, and some did not succeeded.
Prophets lives have been affected by their work on all levels, on social, political, material, and most important of all on personal level as well.
Zodhiates, editor of KSB Bible, made very interesting comments and notes on some of the prophets of GOD, he wrote:
“Note on Isaiah 8.3-4 and Ezekiel 24.15-24. Being a prophet often greatly affected these servants' personal family life.
GOD could use such simple functions as the naming of a child to carry out His purpose (Isaiah 8.3-4).
For Hosea, there was a need to have him take a wife of harlotry (Hosea 1.1-9, 3.1-5. A.G.), but for Jeremiah, it was best that he not marry at all (Jeremiah 16.1-2-4. A.G).
In Ezekiel's case, he was forbidden to mourn the death of his wife publicly, as a sign to his fellow captives in Babylon that when they would get word shortly that Jerusalem had fallen, they were not to show public anguish.” KSB, Spiros Zodhiates. P-1114.
Of course being a prophet of GOD is a great honor, but how many actually can succeed in such difficult, dangerous, and demanding task, it is truly requires a power of very strong personal will and absolute faith in the Lord.
