Joel 2:28 And it shall be afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions.
Joe 2:29 And also I will pour out My Spirit on the slaves and on the slave women;
Notes: Joel predicts prophecy. This sign was an indication of the coming of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of Prophesying. It was a prediction that the youth would prophesy; the young men and the young women.
Now look at Paul praying for the Ephesian Disciples:
Act 19:6 And as Paul laid his hands on them, Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
This was the first time Paul ministers in Ephesus. These believers had been instructed in the baptism of repentance taught by John the Baptist. Now Paul lays His hands upon them and they are anointed by the Holy Spirit, spoke with tongues and prophesied.
| Paul Praying for the Ephesian Disciples to receve the Holy Spirit |
The Meaning of ‘to Prophesy’
To prophesy is to speak out the Mind and Will of God under the direct Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
It comes from two Greek words: pro and phaino.Pro means "before," and phaino means "cause to shine." The term is used in relation to the Word of God. So a "prophet," essentially, is one who stands before the Word of God and causes it to shine. Ray Stedman from <raystedman.org>
prophēteuō Thayer Definition:
1) to prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict
1a) to prophesy
1b) with the idea of foretelling future events pertaining especially to the kingdom of God
1c) to utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation
1d) to break forth under sudden impulse in lofty discourse or praise of the divine counsels
1d1) under like prompting, to teach, refute, reprove, admonish, comfort others
1e) to act as a prophet, discharge the prophetic office.
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 14
c. Especially that you may prophesy: Paul spoke of prophecy and the gift of tongues only in the context of the other gifts of the Spirit. Now, he will focus on the gifts of prophecy and tongues, and how they should function in church body life. Obviously, in the Corinthian church, there was an over-emphasis on tongues, and an under-emphasis on prophecy.
d. What does it mean for someone to prophesy? Many who believe miraculous gifts are no longer given by God regard prophecy as simply “inspired preaching,” and not “inspired” in a direct way.
i. Paul will tell us much more about prophecy in this chapter 1 Cor 12. Yet, we know he does not mean prophecy is identical to preaching, because therre was a Greek word available for “preaching” (kerusso), and Paul did not use this Greek word.
ii. “Preaching is essentially a merging of the gifts of teaching and exhortation, prophecy has the primary elements of prediction and revelation.” (Farnell, cited in Kistemaker)
from <http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/4614.htm> on 1 Cor 12
Applications
1. Paul told us “1Co 14:1 Be eager in your pursuit of this Love, and be earnestly ambitious for spiritual gifts, but let it be chiefly so in order that you may prophesy. “
2 The Tongues speaker ‘speaks to God’ He utters Mysteries with (by) his spirit. He edifies himself.
3. The Person who prophesies ‘edifies the church’. Paul says I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy.
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