Book Review: The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today by Wayne Grudem

The topic of spiritual gifts has been a heated debate for some time especially in the last few years. There have been articles, books, podcasts, debates, and even documentaries addressing if certain spiritual gifts have ceased or are they still continuing in the church today. 

The gift of prophecy has been one of those gifts that have been debated on. Some of the criticism of those who believe this gift has ceased is they have based it on false teachers who have given false prophecies. Those who believe that the gift of prophecy still continues have drawn their conclusions from Scripture and their personal experience. 

One theologian who believes the gift of prophecy is Wayne Grudem, known for his classic work on Systematic Theology, which has been read and studied by many Christians whether in seminary or small group studies. Grudem has written a book, which was revised in 2000, dealing with prophecy and how it was used in the New Testament era and the church today, titled, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today.

In this book, Grudem addresses the difference between prophecies in the Old Testament versus the New Testament. He also addressed the teaching of prophecy in 1 Corinthians which seems to be charismatics go-to when it comes to the continuing of Spiritual gifts such tongues and prophecy. Grudem writes on if all will have the gift of prophecy, which you do not have to be a cessationist to know that not everyone gets the gift of prophecy. He even makes suggestions that the gift of prophecy is a sign of God's blessing on the church and that having prophecy in the church will give people in worship a sense of awe knowing that God is in their midst. 

To be fair, Grudem does defend his positions with scripture which we should not expect anything less from someone who has written a massive theology book. Yet there are times it seemed some of his conclusions were a bit of a stretch when it came to applying his findings to the church today.

When I began reading this book, I knew about Grudem's stance when it came to prophecy so his teachings on this was no surprise. Yet, Grudem seems to be going against the Bible when it comes if a prophet misspeaks. Deuteronomy 18 is clear if a prophet speaks and it does not come to pass; it was not from Yahweh. Grudem would suggest that the New Testament, in particular 1 Corinthians 14, that a prophet can be wrong, he can speak wrongly about he claimed to hear from God, and that be challenged. This is not what prophecy in all of the Bible teaches nor do I see anything that a prophet can be wrong and put words in God's mouth he did not utter.

Grudem is a gifted theologian, and I have benefitted from many of his writings. However, this was not one of them. I am not saying this as a cessationist, I am saying this as one who loves the Bible and knows that God never studders when giving a message to His people.

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for an honest review. 

Costi Hinn on Testing Prophecy

The Biblical Tests of Prophets and Prophecy

If you have watched Fighting for the Faith, you have seen Chris Rosebrough address false teachings within the church including those who claim to have received a word for the Lord. In this video, he is going to show us the Biblical tests for all who claim to be prophets who have received a word for the Lord:

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Book Review: NKJV Prophecy Study Bible

Prophecy is one of those topics in Scripture that one must approach with caution. Reason why is because you can take a verse and make it say anything you want especially if you try to interpret it based on what you see in the newspaper or CNN. There have been many books written on prophecy but not very many study Bibles.

John Hagee, yes the blood moon guy, has produced a study Bible for those wanting to study prophecy called the NKJV Prophecy Study Bible. Don't know it is called a study Bible because, unlike most study Bibles, there are hardly any study notes from a majority of the verses. There are side notes and pages that answer some key questions regarding prophecy.

Of course, with John Hagee being the general editor, it leans towards a premillennial dispensational view of the end times. I did not find this study Bible addressing other views of the end times such as postmillennialism and amillennialism. A better prophecy study Bible would be taking the prophecies of scripture and show what each view shows.

One positive thing about this Bible, is a chart, which Hagee is known for his charts, regarding the prophecies fulfilled in the coming of Christ, which scholars, regardless of eschatology, mostly agree on. Would I recommend this study Bible to anyone? Well, you are a John Hagee fan, this one is for you. If you are not, don't waste your time. You can read one of his books to get mostly the same things.

Thanks Booklook Bloggers for letting me review this Study Bible.

Why Did Jesus Come In The Flesh-To Fulfill Prophecy

God promised long ago starting in Genesis 3:15, that a He would send a redeemer to rescue us from our sins. The Old Testament testifies to the coming of this Messiah who would turn the world upside down. There are many prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in His coming. Recently, Mark Driscoll listed 10 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled when He came in the flesh:

1. Jesus will come from the line of Abraham. Prophecy: Genesis 12:3. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:1.

2. Jesus’ mother will be a virgin. Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:18–23.

3. Jesus will be a descendent of Isaac and Jacob. Prophecy: Genesis 17:19 and Numbers 24:17. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:2.

4. Jesus will be born in the town Bethlehem. Prophecy: Micah 5:2. Fulfilled: Luke 2:1–7.

5. Jesus will be called out of Egypt. Prophecy: Hosea 11:1. Fulfilled: Matthew 2:13–15.

6. Jesus will be a member of the tribe of Judah. Prophecy: Genesis 49:10. Fulfilled: Luke 3:33.

7. Jesus will enter the temple. This is important because the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and was never rebuilt. Prophecy: Malachi 3:1. Fulfilled: Luke 2:25–27.

8. Jesus will be from the lineage of King David. Prophecy: Jeremiah 23:5. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:6.

9. Jesus’ birth will be accompanied with great suffering and sorrow. Prophecy: Jeremiah 31:15. Fulfilled: Matthew 2:16.

10. Jesus will live a perfect life, die by crucifixion, resurrect from death, ascend into heaven, and sit at the right hand of God. Prophecies: Psalm 22:16; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:10–11; Psalm 68:18; Psalm 110:1. Fulfilled: 1 Peter 2:21–22; Luke 23:33; Acts 2:25–32; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 1:3.

What Are The Last Days?

As a new believer it freaked me out when I heard someone on Christian television, in fact, what is said on Christian television freaks a lot of people, when someone said we are living in the last days. I have heard preachers and even deacons say that. When I found out what the last days were, which is, the times when Jesus is drawing near to "rapture" his church, it amazed me that Christians are boldly proclaiming Jesus is returning soon so get ready, which Jesus is returning and we should live our lives for God's glory as if was the last.

We all know in the last few years, decades more like it, there have been bold proclamations that Christ on a particular date. Who can forget Harold Camping last year sayings Jesus will return on May 21 and when that did not happen he said it will indeed happen on October 21, which again did not. Hal Lindsey in the 1970's wrote a book called The Late Great Planet Earth, which predicted the "rapture" will happen in somewhere in the 1980's. Neither did the rapture happen nor one of his predictions in the book.

There are many Bible teachers that proclaim we are in the last days. Are they correct? Yes, but not in what they maybe thinking. So what are the last days and why do we say we are in the last days? First of all, Jesus said no one knows the time of his return (Matthew 24:36). He told his disciple before ascending into heaven, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority" (Acts 1:7). So this is not an entry to put my name in the hat on when Jesus will return because God knows that and it is not our job to guess.

The last days is the period of time between Jesus' first coming (his virgin birth) to the time of his second coming. As Ed Stetzer would says, "We are living in between in the times." Now for those who may disagree, which when it comes to Jesus' return, most Christians will disagree with one another, let me show you some Biblical support regarding why the last days have been upon us for the last 2,000 years.

First, after the Holy Spirit came upon the believers at Pentecost, Peter gets up and starts preaching one of the greatest sermons ever, the one that God used to get the church started. He quotes from the prophet Joel, who said:

‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (Acts 2:17-21)

So when the Holy Spirit came on the believers, it was a mark of the last days.

Second, the writer of Hebrews said:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world (Hebrews 1:1-2)

Jesus has spoken to us, not only in person during his earthly ministry, but also through the written word of God and the Holy Spirit, who is to remind us of the things Jesus taught us.

Now we know we know we are in the last days, remember one thing, Christ's return could happen within a year, 10 years, or even 1,000 years from now. We just do not know and that is the hope we have as Christians that Christians have to Jesus will return and make this world the way God always wanted it.