Do We Have Prophets in the New Testament?
1) Direct answer
Yes. The New Testament has prophets, and God still sets prophets in the Church today. They do not add new Scripture, but they call God’s people back to the written Word, reveal what is hidden, warn, and edify the Body.
2) Scriptural explanation
- God placed prophets in the Church: “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets…” (1 Corinthians 12:28). “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets… for the perfecting of the saints… till we all come… unto a perfect man” (Ephesians 4:11-13). We have not yet arrived at that global perfection, so the ministry remains.
- New Testament examples: Prophets and teachers in Antioch (Acts 13:1). Agabus who foretold famine and Paul’s bonds (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11). Judas and Silas, “being prophets also themselves” (Acts 15:32). Philip’s four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9).
- Order and testing: “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge” (1 Corinthians 14:29). “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). The standard is the Word: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). If a thing is spoken in the Name of the Lord and does not come to pass, don’t fear it (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
- End-time promise: “Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things” (Matthew 17:11; see Malachi 4:5-6). That points to a prophetic ministry before the great and dreadful day of the Lord—a restoring call back to the original Word, not the writing of a new Bible. Revelation 10:7 shows that in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be finished—again, not adding Scripture, but bringing to light what God already gave.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- If Jesus “gave” prophets for the Church “till we all come” to full maturity, then prophets continue until that purpose is fulfilled.
- The same Holy Spirit who inspired prophecy in Acts has not changed. Therefore the gifts and offices He set remain, with the same Bible standard of judgment.
- True prophecy never contradicts Scripture, never leads to sin or pride, and always exalts Jesus Christ and holiness. False prophecy fails the Word test, the fruit test, and the fulfillment test.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice, the Bible does not tell us to reject prophecy; it tells us not to despise it, but to judge it by the Word. A true New Testament prophet will point the Bride back to the written Word, reveal the secrets of the heart, and prepare a people for the coming of the Lord.
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Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
One man's influence on another
62-1013 §23
This is quite a undertaking when we think of what it's going to mean as we study this vision of Isaiah. I've always liked Isaiah. He was one of the major prophets. Isaiah wrote the complete Bible. There is sixty-six books in the Bible, and Isaiah wrote sixty-six chapters. He begins with the beginning of creation; in the middle of the book he brings forth the New Testament and John the Baptist; and at the 56th and 60th chapter he ends up in the great millennium: Genesis through the New Testament into Revelation. Gre...
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
55-0806 §29
Notice, now, he said to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Well, if it takes New Testament, we'll have to start back from the beginning of the New Testament. The first one, the mediator between the Old and New was John the Baptist. And he was a short lived life which only lasted just as the voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord---six months of preaching. And when Jesus came, he was considered, John was, the greatest of all the prophets, because the...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 1:E-69
Now not only is what I have just said true, but let us go a step further. Today we have some students who claim that the original manuscripts were written in the Aramaic which was the language of Jesus and the people of His day. It is claimed by them that the people did not speak and write in the Greek as is so commonly supposed. And the fact is our historians are divided on that. For example, Dr. Schonfield, a most brilliant student has from research proved to his satisfaction that the New Testament was written in...
Why cry? Speak!
59-1004E §33
Like the Jews today, Lewis Pethrus sent over a million Bibles to those Jews, New Testaments. They comes from down in the other parts of the world, they'd never heard of Jesus. Been down there for twenty-five hundred years. They begin to read that New Testament, and they said, "If this be the Messiah, we know the Messiah will be a God-prophet. If this is the Messiah, and He's not dead, but He's alive again, let us see Him do the sign of the prophet; we will believe Him. For our Messiah is a God-prophet."
A Hidden Life
55-1006A §14
Now, God has made it so wonderful that in the Old Testament, where usually I go to for refuge for a text once in a while... He's made the Old Testament in parables and in symbolic forms to express Himself and His doings, that the simple-minded might be able to have a conception of His will and what He's done. Many times in the Old Testament, how I have went back to find the Old typing the New. Always, God did and what He's doing now in the New Testament, He foreshadowed it in the Old Testament. And all of those who...