The Gift of Prophecy

Fr Pat Collins C.M, author and lecturer on spirituality at All Hallows, Dublin, examines the charism of prophecy for today, and its various forms

In theory the gift of prophecy has been important since the beginnings of the Charismatic Movement. In practice, however it has often been neglected, misunderstood, or abused. For example, when I attend prayer meetings and conferences I am sometimes disappointed by the absence of genuine prophecy. When people have spoken prophetic messages I have often suspected that they were merely expressing pious sentiments in prophetic terms. For example, I once heard a man say: “My people I wana to tell you all, that I love ya!” It was true, I’m sure, but was it prophecy? On a few occasions I have heard false prophecies that were opposed to charity or the teachings of scripture and the Church. When one such prophecy was spoken at an international conference, I heard the Rev Tom Smail hit the table with his fist and say: “Stop at once, that’s a false prophecy!” This brief article will examine the nature and role of authentic prophecy, the motives we have for desiring it, while suggesting some practical means of receiving and exercising this important gift.

The nature of prophecy

The word “prophet” is derived from the Greek “prophetes”, meaning interpreter, or spokesman. In other words a prophet or prophetess is a person who speaks or acts, in a revelatory way on God’s behalf, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In his commentary on 1 Cor 12:10, St Thomas Aquinas said that prophecy is primarily a “divine revelation, announcing future events with unshakeable truth.” As such it is akin to what Charismatics refer to as a “word of knowledge” which is a supernatural gift of knowledge or factual information that could not otherwise have been known without the Spirit’s aid. It frequently occurred in the Old and New Testament prophetic tradition. Modern scripture scholars say that prophecy is more a matter of “forth-telling” than “fore-telling.” In other words the prophet or prophetess evaluates the signs of the times in terms of the mind and heart of God. They gain this insight as a result of an inspired vision, inner word, or dream. Although genuine prophecy is revelatory, it merely elucidates the implications of scriptural revelation, without adding to it.

Motives for desiring the gift

Rather than being a sign of the holiness of the prophet or prophetess, the gift of prophecy is freely granted in order to help others to grow in sanctifying grace. As Paul says in 1 Cor 14:3: “everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, exhortation and comfort.” There are a number of ways in which prophecy does this. Firstly, it can take the form of a message which is spontaneously inspired by the Holy Spirit and spoken into a particular situation. For example, there was the frequently Fr Pat Collins C.M, author and lecturer on spirituality at All Hallows, Dublin, examines the charism of prophecy for today, and its various forms quoted utterance in St Peter’s Basilica on Easter Monday 1976 about an age of darkness that was about to come upon the Church and the world. Secondly, prophecy can take the form of inspired and inspiring preaching based on a scripture text. I can recall a memorable talk given by David Pawson, a British evangelical leader entitled, “it is not fair.” It was about the parable of the labourers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16) and was prophetic in its impact upon me personally. Thirdly, prophecy can take the form of a challenging public pronouncement on a moral or ethical issue that confronts current social values. I felt that part of John Paul II’s address in Limerick, in 1979, about the dangers of materialism and the coming time of testing in Ireland, was prophetic in this sense.

Means of acquiring the gift

St Paul esteemed the gift of prophecy very highly. He ranked it second after apostleship (Eph 4:11). It is the two edged sword that judges the secret thoughts and emotions of the heart (Heb 4:12). As Paul says: “if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner ….So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” (1 Cor 14:24-25.) Like Moses before him Paul wished that everyone could prophecy (1 Cor 14:39). As a result he exhorted the believers to desire this gift. “Follow the way of love,” he wrote (1 Cor 14:1) “and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” This desire can be advocated and encouraged in a number of ways.

1. The group leader should arrange for good teaching to be given on this gift. It is interesting to note that St Thomas saw it as the key to a proper understanding of all the other charisms.
2. S/he should encourage the prayer group members to ask God, with expectant faith, to grant the gift of prophecy to one or more of the members.
3. The prayer group leader needs to adopt a permissive attitude where prophecies are concerned. While there will be quite a few non-prophecies, s/he should not bother too much about them. They won’t do any real harm. The charism of discernment of spirits, which is mentioned in 1 Cor 12:10, is needed to distinguish genuine prophecy from non prophecy or false prophecy.
4. I have also discovered that the Lord is more liable to grant the gifts, especially the charism of prophecy, when the group members are one in mind and heart (Cf. Phil 2:1-4; Acts 4:32) This means that they have to resolve conflicts in a constructive and forgiving way, while fasting from judgmental or condemnatory thoughts or words. I have also noticed that groups that are committed to vociferous praise, that is loud and long, especially in tongues, are more disposed to receive the gift of prophecy.

Means of exercising the gift

When it comes to the exercise of prophecy a number of points should be kept in mind.

• Firstly, “If a person’s gift is prophesying, let him or her use it in proportion to his or her faith” Rm 12: 6. If one’s faith is hesitant speak in a tentative way, such as, “I feel that the Lord may be saying.” If it is firm, one could say, “The Lord says….”
• Secondly, “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said” (1 Cor 14:29.) In other words the leader should only allow a few prophetic messages to be spoken. If a genuine prophecy is spoken the leader would be well advised to encourage the group to absorb its meaning by means of quiet, prayerful, reflection.
• Thirdly, “You can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged” (1 Cor 12:31.) Clearly, Paul thought that good order in the meeting is important with pauses between the prophecies.
• Fourthly, I feel that someone should be assigned to write down genuine prophecies after the meeting so they can be referred to again. Remember, that Is 55:11 assures us, the word of God will not return to the Lord without accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent.
• Fifthly, if God speaks a word to a group or community, they need to take that word to heart and to respond to it in an obedient way. As Jesus said: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28.) Otherwise, when, finally, we go before God’s judgement seat we will say: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name” and he will reply: “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matt 7:22-23.)