Re: [revival-fire] Prophecy: Unction Only or At Will?

******* REVIVAL FIRE!!! *******    

You're right that if YOU have a question, others do as well who are reluctant to ask (for whatever reasons!)

There's a difference (a serious difference) between knowing what the Bible teaches and what experience teaches. Experience is vital, but then, too, so is noting what the Bible does or does not teach.

UNCTION

The idea of a person prophesying under an "unction" from the Holy Spirit is not taught in the Bible. Not that I see anything wrong with it, but it's just not "Bible". John's the only one who used the word, "unction": in Greek it's "chrisma" and it's used only three times in the NT: 1Jn 2.20 & 27, once translated "unction" (AV) and twice "anointing" (AV).

1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

In none of the three uses does John refer to "operating prophetically" in ministry to others "under an unction". The "unction" refers to a singularly private function of the Holy Spirit in every Believer's life in which God leads each Believer away from spiritually, seducing teachings (v. 26).

In a strictly biblical sense, one could rightly say, "I'm refusing to follow the teaching of Rev. So-and-so because the unction of the Holy Spirit warns me to stay away."

If a person says, "I feel an unction form the Holy Spirit to prophesy this Word to you", there's no real problem with it. It's just a non-biblical usage of the word and it's religious jargon that'll score points in some, small circles today but not in others.

Some people may want to point to 1Pet 4.8ff for an example of "speaking under the unction", but it's a imperfect fit.

1Pet 4.8ff Above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift [charisma], minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 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, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

"Oracle" [logion] is just another form of the Greek word, logos, an is used 4 times in the NT. It simply means a "brief utterance from God" (Strong's.)

Notice (because this verse is so cool) that all spiritual gifts  are herein summed up into two categories: The gifts that result in speaking and the gifts that result in action (or service!) And it doesn't say that for some one to give a prophetic Word, they have to have, feel or carry an "unction". Nothing like that is in these verses.

But what it does imply is even more exacting -- that everything one says in building others up in the Lord needs to be done as God speaks. To me, this is more in line with Paul's saying that he "prays without ceasing" -- that every action we do be done in Love and every word we speak to one another be delivered as though spoken from the Mouth of God. (Hmmm... Who said we'd be eventually judged for every idle word we speak? Every "non-working word" we utter?) Let's open our mouths every-time, speaking the things God gives to us to speak.

(Wow! What a world that would be...)

PROPHECY BY CHOICE

That's an interesting question -- about how some seem "to jsut flow in prophecy at any time or place". It brings to my mind 1Cor 14.1: "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."

It's not as if that verse says specifically that we can "prophecy at will" (or, as you said, "flow in prophecy at any time and place".) But when I look at the verbs used ("pursue" and "desire"), they suggest to me that there is clear, personal will involved with both the exercise of love and prophecy.

"Pursue" (Greek, dioko: a prolonged and causative form of the verb "to run swiftly to catch a person or thing", "to seek eagerly and endeavor to acquire" -- Strongs.)

"Desire" (Greek zeloo: "to boil" with zeal, "to strive after", "to exert one's self" for someone or something so that it might not be lost.)

Someone one could object and say, "Well, the Gift or prophecy mentioned in 1Cor 14 isn't the Gift of "Prophecy" used in "personal, prophetic ministry"... and all I could say is -- where does the Bible say they're substantially different? That's pentecostal tradition, not clear Scripture.

No -- the clear and simple instruction here in 14.1 is that every person who is supposed to zealously pursue Love, is supposed to zealously pursue building up one another -- especially through prophecy. There's no basis for saying it's a "gift" that only a few people exercise, and no basis for saying one has to "wait" for some sort of "unction" to come. It's a ministry/service to one another that's as available as hounds zealously chasing a fox -- if you want it, it's right there.

NOW, LAST -- A PERSONAL EXAMPLE

A couple of years ago, Kim and Mary Andersson took my wife (Shell) and I on a whirlwind ministry trip through Denmark and Norway. In 20 days we ministered to 20 groups of people -- and Mary, Shell and I ministered in personal prophecy to people in every meeting. There were a number of people excited and delighted about the accuracy of these prophetic words -- words which lifted and encouraged, excited, convicted and stirred them up -- all through a translator!

It worked in a really simple fashion. The three of us would get up in front of people we couldn't understand and had never met, look at each other and ask, "Who wants to go first?" Then, one of us would start, and we spoke as God's oracles. There I learned one of the most fantastic lessons I've ever learned about God -- the Anointing and Presence of His Spirit is the same, everywhere in the world. Might sound simple, but then, so am I most of the time.

Hope this helps.

Bless you!

Emil & Shell

On Oct 2, 08, at 4:06 PM, Pastor Ryan Miller wrote:

******* REVIVAL FIRE!!! *******    

A quick question on prophecy, which I am finally beginning to see in spurts. Feel free to reply privately, but this might be a great discussion. As a teacher, I've learned that most questions are at least being thought of by more than just the person who asks (and as a pastor, I know people love questions and answer type formats).   I hear a lot of conflicting teaching on whether we can only prophesy when there is a specific unction or whether one can prophesy by choice (by faith).   I am asking becasue I have seen people (Dr. Lane Lowder at CPT for one-who I just love and respect) who seems to jsut flow in prophecy at any time or place, but then there are those wh oteach that you get into error if there is not an "unction" to prophesy. Thoughts?

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