All posts tagged prophecy

Lesson 33: How Do We Determine the Word of God – Charisma

by Scott Noon on October 29, 2011 in Doctrine with No comments

Paul includes the “utterance” of wisdom and knowledge among the gifts of the Spirit or charismas (I Corinthians 12: 4-11). Over the years these have been described as just about any kind of direct inspiration- from a person feeling something inside her is saying to take a certain action- to a television preacher claiming he received a “word of knowledge” from God demanding he promise his viewers they will be rewarded a hundredfold if they send seed money to his ministry- to first century prophets channeling God’s words to their congregations.

The inspiration of the Spirit is certainly basic for determining what we accept as God’s Word. However, when we depend on charisma alone, there is no way to determine which charisma is correct if two people claim God gave them contradictory messages. This has become a critical problem in our times for at least four reasons:

1) The radical democracy that permeates all areas of our society regards any standard that could help us make a decision as nothing more than individual opinion. Conflicts can be resolved by polling these opinions and going with the majority, but most Christians appreciate this does not always work in faith matters. God’s Word has seldom won popularity contests. They also find going with the majority can prohibit prophetic preaching, because critics can accuse the prophet of failing to reflect their parishioners’ views.

2) Authority has been replaced by celebrity that emphasizes image rather than substance and feeling rather than reason. The one who can buy the most exposure and speak the loudest and longest too often carries the majority.

3) Restorative Churches, such as the Pentecostal and Free Churches, have become very popular. They claim they return to the first century charisma and admit this means they reject all 2,000 years of tradition as corrupted. Many of their leaders believe their personal opinions represent God’s Word, because he has “anointed” them. Often they feature enthusiasm as tongue speaking that uses the language of the angels, prophecy that channels God’s message in the vernacular, and miracles. Because their celebrity leadership dominates television, our government often uses them to represent the Christian Church.

4) The power of other religions that insist their original inspirational level offers prescriptions for how modern society should operate. Islam and Mormonism resist any evolution from their original leaders and their writings. This position has led to cultural clashes.
The early Church faced very similar problems in regulating charisma. Now as then the question is how to follow Paul’s advice, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good” (I Thessalonians 5: 19- 21). We should not fear the innovations of the Spirit, but we also can not allow inspiration to be a card that trumps everything else. If we do that, we are left with a “what works for me” mentality.

The first century Church used canon, creed, clergy, custom, ceremony, and community in an appropriate balance to regulate charisma. Marlin suggests we add chronology, because we are always struggling with change and continuity. I’ll try to examine all of these in the coming weeks.

Lesson 17: The Last Days

by Scott Noon on October 29, 2011 in Doctrine with No comments

Let’s change plans. Juan’s questions, Bob’s observation, and e-mailers’ inquiries reveal people have questions about “The Last Days” Let me make a few short observations in hopes you will respond with your ideas.

Juan asks how we discern the “prophetic” aspect in Revelation and the rest of the Bible. I obviously reject the methods of those who treat the issue as an intellectual puzzle solved by pulling together verses, reading their opinions into them, and coming up with “predictions” which profit them in some way. It is far more honest to do what the Bible tells us to do.

For instance, the first 3 verses of Revelation tell us John is speaking about what is going to happen “very soon”. He says we can discern what that is by reading his auditory “prophecy” out loud in a group and letting it bless us. His title, “Apocalypse” reveals this will remove the veil covering reality, so we can know what is really going on.

If we follow his directions with a little help from studying what the words meant to his first century listeners, we come up with this story. When the veil is removed, we find Satan is behind the Roman Empire. That mighty power can not fulfill its promises to make eternal peace, because it says evil is good and good is evil. Its vast navy brings the earth’s resources to Rome, making her rich and all other nations poor. We then hear Rome will be destroyed very soon by her own lies and greed as the rest of the nations turn on her. However, the church need not despair, because when the veil is lifted, you also see God, not Rome rules the universe. He shall care for his people, giving them a new life without suffering and tears.

It seems to me Revelation’s “prophecy” is not so much specific “predictions” about particular events but rather general “promises” that give continual hope. It is like Jeremiah promising God would bring his people home to Jerusalem in 70 years. God did it, but in 50 years. Jeremiah’s “prediction” was wrong but his “promise” was fulfilled. So, too, John’s promise was fulfilled as Rome collapsed, and the Church remains to this day.

I think Juan is right that Revelation’s “prophecy” still speaks to our situation. We, too, discern its message by following John’s instructions. We should read it out loud in a group, listening as if God is speaking directly to us. Then we should share our responses.

That is not to say everyone will hear this “prophecy” in the same way. I have found young people just about always respond, “That’s us. That’s a picture of the Empire the United States has built.” Adults have seldom heard this. They hear a more general promise that evil will bring its own demise while good will triumph, because God brings justice when Christ rules. Well, to be honest, sometimes adults hear the “prophecy” demonizing our enemies and endorsing our own government. I find that twists scripture to rationalize our own sins in the manner of Dick Cheney’s Christmas card few years back which read “If a sparrow can not fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

Pure intellect might respond to “prophecy” in fear. Faith responds in a hope that continues loving in spite of the situation around us. Does this make sense?

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