THE GIFT OF PROPHECY

But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edifi-

cation, exhortation, and comfort (I Cor. 14:3).

For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may

learn, and all may be comforted (I Cor. 14:31).

Prophecy is an utterance spoken by the Spirit in a language understood by

the hearers. It is spoken by the Spirit, bypassing the intellect, and its purpose is

edification, exhortation, and comfort. The person speaks on behalf of God to

men. I make a distinction between the gift of prophecy given by the Spirit and the

message of the prophet who is a gift of Christ to the church. The prophet speaks

the mind or will of God for a specific purpose--often in judgment, often with a

word of knowledge. The number of prophets who may speak is limited (v. 29),

and the message of the prophet is to be judged by others (v. 29). The gift of

prophecy is for a different purpose, is not judged, and is unlimited (v. 31).

These are the gifts of utterance that Paul discusses with the church at

Corinth. In order to better understand these gifts, we will make a comparison and

contrast study of the teachings of Paul in fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians.