Part 2: The New Testament Church (Prophetic mandate)
Introduction
Before you read this series of articles, it's important you read the general introduction. In this series we've identified a number of features and qualities that can be found in the lives, experience and practice of the Early Church. These characteristics, which are not set out in any particular order, are also being outworked in many congregations and faith communities today.
Through this series we hope to encourage individuals and congregations within the Church, to break free from the strait-jacket of religious institutionalism and tradition to re-discover their true identity and destiny as a living organism, a subversive and counter-culture movement and eschatological in nature (longing and focussed on the return of Jesus).
The Church's prophetic mandate
Here in Part 2 we discuss the Church's prophetic mandate - an expectation of hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit and a willingess to respond accordingly. The Church is called to be prophetic in the nature of her ministry and lifestyle.
Whilst the institutional Church today relies on traditions, programmes and her organisational ability, the New Testament Church relied on moment by moment revelation, as prophesied by the prophet Joel:
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy (Acts 2:17-18).
We're not suggesting everyone in the congregation will be a prophet, but that the congregation as a whole is to fulfil a prophetic role to mankind. Everyone in the congregation will therefore need to understand this prophetic vocation, in order for it to become a reality.
Influenced by liberal theology
Many individuals and congregations within the institutional Church today however, are liberal in their theology and no longer have any expectation of receiving supernatural revelation. Some were influenced by a process that began in Germany in the 1800’s of applying humanistic thinking to the Bible, known as ‘higher criticism.'
Cessationism, a belief that the 'sign gifts' such as prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues ceased when the apostles died and the canon of Scripture was completed, is also common within parts of the institutional Church. Those who hold to this view, believe that the gifts were only given as a launching pad for the spreading of the Gospel.
Sadly, today, even those denominations within the institutional Church who claim to be Holy Spirit led, manifest little spontaneity, a great deal of order and tradition, and little signs of significant movement or change over many decades.
The Word and the Spirit
Whilst we believe that the written word of God is the basis for all Christian practice, beliefs, doctrine and the teaching of the Church, the Bible was never intended to replace the Lord's personal and present interaction with us. Jesus tells us in John 10 that his sheep know his voice and follow him.
We need the Word and the Spirit, which are two edges of the same sword. Those who deny the primary role of the Holy Spirit in their practice, have forfeited their prophetic mandate and, in the main, we must look to the organic Church if we want to see the prophetic mandate being outworked in practice today.
Understanding the role of the prophet
To understand the nature of the prophetic mandate we need to understand the basic role of the prophet. The prophet is a gift from Jesus to the Church. Whilst the gift of prophecy should never be used to establish doctrine, the prophet's ministry is essential if the Church is to come to the full stature of Christ.
The Bible tells us that the Church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus was a prophet and the whole of his life was a prophetic statement. The Hebrew word for prophet means 'God's mouthpiece' - one through whom God speaks. The basis of the prophet's ministry therefore is revelation (Eph 3:4-5):
Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).
Prophetic revelation is given so that the Lord can express his will and purpose, to direct his people in the present, and to reveal the future. The prophet's spirit is in tune with God’s Spirit. He is grounded in history and carries a strong sense of destiny; he lives in the present, but longs for the future. He sees the world around him through God’s eyes; he sees both the seen and unseen realms.
The prophet is also called upon to warn about false teaching and to build up the Church through his radical adherence to truth. Humanistic concepts and ideas have to be cleared out of the way before God's purposes can be fulfilled, and it is the prophet, working together with the apostolic ministry, who brings this challenge. The prophetic ministry therefore is not always popular.
Jeremiah was appointed as a prophet of God with this mandate on his life:
See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant (Jer 1:10).
The prophet's relationship to End-Time prophecy
The prophet focuses on the return of Jesus and God's plans revealed through the prophetic scriptures. The prophetic spirit is essential to true understanding of what has been written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the past.
The prophet will study, search and enquire in order to interpret the yearning of the Spirit of Christ within him (1 Peter 1:10-11). He will be dependent on revelation to communicate the future purpose of God (1 Peter 1:12-13).
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Mutually beneficial characteristics
It's important to bear in mind the overlap and relationship that exists between the different characteristics of the New Testament Church:
General introduction to series . . .
Part 1 in this series discusses Eschatological dimension . . .
Part 2 in this series discusses Prophetic mandate . . .
Part 3 in this series discusses Meeting in houses and community living . . .
Part 4 in this series discusses Leadership . . .
Part 5 in this series discusses Discipleship . . .
Part 6 in this series discusses Spiritual gifts . . .
Part 7 in this series discusses Pioneers or settlers . . .
Part 8 in this series discusses Identity precedes function . . .
Part 9 in this series discusses Relational unity . . .
Part 10 in this series discusses Kingdom message and proclamation . . .
Part 11 in this series discusses The persecuted Church . . .
We need the Word and the Spirit, which are two edges of the same sword. Those who deny the primary role of the Holy Spirit in their practice, have forfeited their prophetic mandate and, in the main, we must look to the organic Church if we want to see the prophetic mandate being outworked in practice today . . .