Observation: Paul continues his long conversation about gifts and abilities by comparing tongues and prophesy. He explicitly says that believers should desire the gift of prophecy, and explicitly compares it to tongues (perhaps because the church in Corinth had explicitly asked questions about speaking in tongues, probably even about members who do it and/or how they should pursue this gift). Paul himself speaks in tongues, but says it doesn't do the church any good because no one knows what is being said. The church would be better off if individuals could prophesy.
Application: I have seen and heard many pastors - and many MANY more church members - who claim to have the gift of prophecy. When it is true, it is ... interesting. Our former pastor had the gift of prophecy. Interestingly, he never publicly claimed that. Instead, he just made statements about what the church needed to do to prepare for an upcoming season, or about a vision for something that would happen and that the church needed to act upon first, and it turned out true.
Probably the most interesting of these was when, in November 2019, he declared our church needed to invest six figures in new media capabilities. At the time we had a very good live stream capability, and probably less than 5 people watched it every week. He convinced everyone, raised and spent a ton of money, and implemented the new equipment in early 2020 ... two weeks before the pandemic shut down every church and we went to a 100 percent online format, and peaked with ~8,000 weekly viewers.
On the flip side, I have seen dozens of people 'claim' they have the gift of prophecy. Such individuals follow a specific pattern. First, they 'join' the church. Second, very soon after joining, they meet with pastors to explain why they should have some type of status, which includes them declaring (aka testifying on their own behalf) that they have the gift of prophecy. Third, they also make such claims to other church attendees. Fourth, they declare a prophecy that ... condemns church leaders and denounce their actions or decisions, maybe even delving into accusations about their personal lives or motives (which every time proves false). Fifth, they leave the church, and some members get angry at leadership over the turmoil (perhaps they believe the accusations, perhaps they think the individual was forced to leave). This won't happen over years ... it will happen over a period of weeks. I have literally watched this pattern happen a dozen times in the last 15 years.
Here is what I have seen with prophecy ... as Paul says, it edifies the church. I don't believe in the idea that prophecy is a way of knowing secrets. It is a way of understanding the Lord's instructions for the future, and since the Lord's plan for us is good, those instructions will be helpful and produce fruit. That seems consistent with every true prophet in scripture.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you that your Spirit is alive in the world today, and we get to share in how your work within our churches today. Amen.
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