Manifestations Of Prophecy (Part Ii) Series

I. WHAT IS THE GIFT OF PROPHECY in 1 Cor. 12:10?

I want to begin with three Greek words in the New Testament that should help us understand specifically what Paul is referring to in 1 Cor. 12:10 when he writes, “…to another prophecy….”i

(1) Didasko is commonly translated “teach.” Let me read a couple of verses where the word is used. Matt 4:23 “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching [didasko] in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Acts 15:35 “Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching [didasko] and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.“ The Greek word, didasko, means “to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, to deliver didactic discourses”ii In fact, our English word “didactic” comes from this word. (2) Kerusso is typically translated “preach.” This word is also used in Matt 4:23 “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching [kerusso] the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Kerusso means to proclaim something, especially a divine truth.iii In addition to teaching, Jesus was [kerusso] preaching the gospel of the kingdom. It is a declaration of a truth rather than a systematic instruction like I’m giving in this message. (3) Euaggelizo is also translated “preach” or “preach the gospel.” It means “to announce good news…especially the gospel.”iv We get our English word, Evangelize, from this Greek word. Acts 15:35: “Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching [didasko] and peaching [euaggelizo] the word of the Lord, with many others also. “

Do you think Paul and Barnabas were anointed of the Holy Spirit when they were teaching and preaching the word of the Lord? Were they depending on the Lord and ministering in His grace and strength? I’m sure they were. 1 Peter 4:11 commands, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies….” Anytime we teach or preach the word of God, we are required to get the mind of the Spirit and minister out of the ability He gives. We do not do it in our own strength. In that reliance on the Holy Spirit, we are to speak as the oracles of God. That’s an awesome responsibility, but the Holy Spirit works with us, enabling us to do that by His grace. So, in that sense, all New Testament ministry is to be prophetic, whether we’re teaching God’s people from Scripture or declaring the gospel to unbelievers. If we use the word prophetic in a broad sense of simply meaning it is anointing by the Holy Spirit, then all of it is prophetic.

However, in our text, Paul is not using the word prophecy is the broad connotation that I just described. He is speaking more specific than that. He is talking about a specific gift of the Spirit. Some people think preaching the gospel or teaching the Bible is the gift of prophecy. It should be done under the unction of the Holy Spirit, but it is not the gift of prophecy. Often, when I am teaching or preaching, a prophetic utterance will come forth. It is something I did not plan to say, yet it comes bubbling up out of my spirit and has a significant anointing on it. I can usually tell when that is happening, which is distinct from the rest of the teaching. Sometimes God shows me someone that it is specifically for; at other times He does not, perhaps it is for everyone. It can be predictive, but it is usually not predictive. A sermon is normally prepared in advance. It is usually characterized by teaching, preaching, or a combination of the two. It can have manifestations of prophetic utterance within its delivery. But preaching a sermon is not the same as operating in the gift of prophecy, as listed in our text in 1 Cor. 12:10.

Why did I deal with those three Greek words at the beginning of this message? Because those words were at Paul’s disposal and were commonly used to indicate an activity of preaching or teaching. Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, did not use any of those words. He does not say in 1 Cor. 12:10, “and to another didasko or kerusso or Euaggelizo.” Had he done so, we might conclude that he was talking about preaching a sermon. He uses a word that is typically translated prophecy, and when we look at the context in which this is happening in the New Testament, it is not a sermon. The word translated in 1 Cor. 12:10 is propheteia. When we see this word in its various forms used in the New Testament, it does not look like a sermon.