Prophet: A Role for Church Administration

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In the list of personnel for church administration, the role of prophet ranks immediately behind apostle. Why would prophets still be necessary now that Christ came? He’s the one all of biblical prophecy points toward.

Maybe there are answers to that question in the dictionary definition of the role. A prophet, says Webster, is: 1. One who utters divinely inspired revelations as a: the writer of one of the prophetic books of the Bible, or b: one regarded by a group of followers as the final authoritative revealer of God’s will. 2. One gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight, 3. One who foretells future events, 4. An effective or leading spokesman for a cause, doctrine, or group.

Obviously, the first role definition has been fulfilled, since the books of the Bible are complete as written and require no additions. But, there are other role options open. Let’s look at those.

Prophet: a role for church administration

Besides predicting the Messiah, prophets in the Old Testament warned people of God’s judgment of sin. Nathan confronted David about his conduct with Uriah and Bathsheba. Jonah, reluctant though he was, shook Nineveh to its core, and the people repented. Do we need similar warning today? Yes. We’re not less sinful than they.

Another thing prophets do is reassure fearful people by bringing them to recognize God’s protection. Elisha reminded his servant “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Can we do these things for one another?

Yes, if we ask God for spiritual insight, and follow the moral standards He established. Exercising the prophet’s role for church administration in these ways makes the church strong and effective.

It’s my opinion that the role of foretelling future events should be limited to repeating the prophecies found in Scripture. Doing anything beyond that is risky.

The fourth role of a prophet for church administration is open to every believer. All of us need to be effective leading spokespeople for God’s cause and the Gospel.

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