Conclusion

We have attempted to show in this chapter the trajectory of how the spiritual gift of prophecy was perceived by major Christian writers. The prophetic gift was identified most commonly with the Hebrew Scriptures because its writers proclaimed the truth of Jesus as the Christ of God. So, the basic meaning of a prophet derived from this Christological hermeneutic in early Christianity was of a divine spokesperson.GOP 222.2

Since many claimed to have this spiritual gift of prophecy, teaching opposing things about Jesus, the Apostolic Fathers recognized the need to distinguish between true and false manifestations of this spiritual gift. There was also a move toward assimilating the role of prophet into that of a local bishop. This seems a natural step because in the New Testament the roles of a prophet, apostle, and teacher somewhat overlap. First Irenaeus then Cyprian made this move complete when they argued for the importance of apostolic succession in order to distinguish truth from error and maintain divine authority within the church. After them the gift of prophecy is rarely mentioned, except when referring to the Hebrew Scriptures. So, prophets were largely a thing of the past by the Middle Ages.GOP 222.3

Because of this control by the official church of truth and salvation, some have perceived apostolic succession in the Middle Ages as an apostolic succession of error. These errors created in many a felt need to find an alternative apostolic succession of truth, through a continual line of prophetic voices in opposition to the organized church. Ironically, this construct was not needed because truth resides not in ecclesiastical structures but in the revealed word of God.GOP 222.4

Nevertheless, these human developments do not hinder the possibility of the manifestation of the prophetic gift in history. In Christianity there were voices claiming to have had the spirit of prophecy. ^{58In the same period, Jews and Muslims also claimed to have received special revelations from God (see McGinn, “Mystical Union in Judaism, Christianity and Islam,” Encyclopedia of Religion 9. 6338-6340)} Sometimes these prophets taught things that were apparently forgotten by certain Christian communities, thus bringing them back toward divine revelation. At other times they spoke contrary to what was taught in the Scriptures. The complexity of this history is that both characterizations can be exemplified at times in the same individual. Similar to Peter in his experience confessing Christ and engaging the devil at the same moment, we should be aware that divine messengers are human. Like all of us, they fail. This is not a comfortable position when false spirits need to be identified.GOP 222.5

In our evaluation, Kelly’s insight about the reaction of Irenaeus to false prophecy still applies to our time. The identification of a true spirit is based on a hermeneutical choice. ^{59See above, footnote 17.} We, the observers, must have parameters in order to separate truth from falsehood, mindful of the frail human component in the gift of prophecy. We suggest that as Bible-believing Christians, Adventists should cultivate a spirit of openness to new revelation, always comparing the messages of those who call themselves divine messengers with previous revelation in an attitude of love, recognizing that sometimes the divine gift of prophecy is not so clearly distinguished from the false one. ^{60Adding to the complexity of divine revelation, we see in the Scriptures a diverse expression of religious experiences and divine modes of communication. According to James Dunn, the canonization of the New Testament by the Christian church showed not only its diversity, but more importantly its “acceptable diversity.” Dunn, “Has the Canon a Continuing Function?” in The Canon Debate, eds. McDonald and Sanders (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2002), 578.}GOP 223.1

At times when both biblical prophetic literature and Ellen G. White’s writings are used to reach different and even opposing conclusions, Kelly’s stress on the role of a hermeneutical framework to establish truth is crucial. Our response to the spiritual gift of prophecy must be shaped by Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Therefore it seems more appropriate to inquire, not only about the recipients of the “spirit of prophecy,” but whether or not, as observers of it, our hearts are sufficiently clean to see God. ^{61We write sufficiently because according to Scriptures the human nature is sinful, which hinders the possibility of an understanding of divine revelation. This is only possible with an entire submission to the Spirit of God (see Jer. 17:5, 9, 10; 1 Cor. 2:9-16).} Do we have the right spirit? GOP 223.2