Infallible prophets
Scott has some words about “prophets” in the church:
if you want to be an infallible prophet in my church then fine - let’s play by the biblical rules — if you are wrong we get to kill you. if you hear God’s voice sometimes and feel led to share what he has said to you in humility - that is a very different thing. if you feel you are a prophet you better develop some humility to go with that calling or you aren’t going to be of much use.
Perhaps it is not so strange that the people I know who like to model themselves or call themselves prophets are not the same people as those I consider to actually be prophets. Recently I have been engaging with an issue where a so-called “prophet” has opposed a change agenda, apparently because nobody else was entitled to encourage new thinking and creativity.
And yet I have had contact with the most unlikely prophets, that have had a profound impact on others in discerning and communicating the will of God for people, organisations, the community and government.
July 2nd, 2004 at 1:21 pm
beg to differ Dan,
an apostle is a man selected by Jesus.
Some Anglicans and most Catholics believes this continues but few others.
Apostles were unique in that they were both preachers and teachers or church planters and bishops.
note however in 1Tim3 the requirements are all about teaching and there are none about church planting!
July 2nd, 2004 at 3:19 pm
I would agree that an apostle is a person called by God - eg Paul is described as an apostle but was called by God after Jesus’ death. Why should we imagine that God ceases to call people today?
The idea of apostolic succession is quite different. As I understand it (and I don’t profess any expertise beyond a google or to) it is the idea that bishops must be able to trace a lineage back to those original apostles in order to discern between those of the “true path” and heretics.
I am talking about God calling new people in new situations to be apostles and prophets. To turn it backwards, I am not aware of anything in the bible to suggest that God would cease to call people as apostles and prophets - they are clearly important…
July 3rd, 2004 at 8:14 pm
All Apostles except one were specifically selected by Jesus.
I am not aware of Jesus caling any apostles since then