The Abiding Gift of Prophecy

The Church Needs the Gifts

“This concession is a very important one in its bearings on this whole subject. Prove that miracles were wrought, for example, in the second century after Christ, and no reason can be thereafter urged why they might not be wrought in the nineteenth century.” The Ministry of Healing, 58.

Regarding the imperative need of the continuance in the church of all the spiritual gifts bestowed by our Lord at His ascension, the following forceful statement is made by the Reverend Wm. Eddy, of the Methodist Church: AGP 176.3

“It will not do to say that these gifts were restricted in their bestowment to the apostles and early Christians. All will allow that what Paul says of ‘charity, or love,’ ‘the more excellent way,’ in 1 Corinthians 13, applies to Christians in all subsequent time, and yet he immediately exhorts to ‘covet earnestly the best gifts.’ The truth is, the church needs these gifts at this day to battle against error in its various forms. She needs them to preserve in her own mind the idea of the spiritual, the supernatural. She needs them as ornaments to supersede her jewelry. Let her ‘covet earnestly’ these gifts, and there would be less covetousness of worldly display…. We should covet the gift of prophecy. It is a New Testament endowment.”—Northwestern Christian Advocate, 1855.

This statement is in full harmony with Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians 14:39, “Covet to prophesy.” All the context in chapters 12 to 14 makes it unquestionably clear that the gift of prophecy is to abide in the church to the end of the gospel dispensation as truly as “abideth faith, hope, charity.” In fact, verse 1 of the 14th chapter urges the church to “follow after AGP 176.4

charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.” Cultivating love and desiring spiritual gifts are to continue together in the church, without any limit of time on either. Of the gifts, that of prophecy is most to be desired, and therefore to be confidently expected. AGP 177.1

That the prophetic gift, as well as the other gifts with which it was associated, continued indeed in the church after the apostles had gone to their graves is certified by reliable testimony in history, supported by theological scholarship and opinion. A brief survey of the testimony pertaining to this subject now engages our attention. AGP 177.2

In an extended review of this question a writer in the Encyclopedia Britannica says: AGP 177.3

“The most important facts known at present about the manner of life, the influence, and the history of the early Christian prophets are the following: (1) Until late in the second century the prophets (or prophetesses) were regarded as an essential element in a church possessing the Holy Ghost. Their existence was believed in, and they did actually exist…. Not a few Christian prophets are known to us by name: as Agabus, Judas, and Silas, in Jerusalem; Barnabas, Simon Niger, etc., in Antioch; in Asia Minor, the daughters of Philip, Quadratus, Ammia, Polycarp, Melito.” Volume XXII, art., “Prophet,” p. 448, 11th edition.