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.
What house will you build me?
65-1121 §8
Then I find that in the book of the New Testament, where Paul, which is the author (not the author, but the writer) of the New testament. He also was drove out from among his people, and by the Spirit, into the Arabia, where he was three and a half years, to find the inspiration. And Paul is the chief writer of the New Testament. Now there is Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but they were scribes that just wrote what Jesus said, as they followed Him along. But, you take the book to Timothy, and to the Romans, and to...
Hear ye Him
57-0125 §27
Notice. Then the son, if he was a good boy and was very up-and-at-it with the Father's business, one day the father taken that son out into a public place, and robed him in a beautiful garment, and set him up before the public, and had a ceremony. And he adopted his own child into his family. In other words, he positionally placed his son. From then on, his name was just as good on the check as his father's was. It was a placing of the son. And God back in the Old Testament, being a shadow of the New to come, did t...
Future home of the heavenly Bridegroom and the earthly Bride
64-0802 §32
And now, also in the book of Isaiah (now if you want to put these scriptures down), in Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah speaking of the millennium (that thousand years of rest for the people of God)--- Isaiah spoke of it, and he said, "I... There was a ..." all the former things had passed away, and how they'll build houses and inhabit them. If we had time---maybe we just take time and read this just a minute, Isaiah 65. And let's just read for a few minutes here; and here it is right for us. Now, to begin, Isaiah 65:17: And b...
Discernment of Spirit
60-0308 §41
Now we notice that all those prophets and all they said about Him, everything come to true because He was the theme of the Old Testament. Jesus, the Messiah, coming Messiah, was what every prophet looked for from Adam to Malachi. Every prophet spoke of the coming of the Lord. Each one put his part in, because he was anointed of God. That's all he could speak of. Now, wish we had more time on it. But, watch, everything that they said come to pass. Looky here, let's just take some of the things the prophets said.
Perseverant
62-0719E §42
Moses, the runaway prophet, he had all the education that could be stuffed into him because he was the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And he had all the theology. He was so smart, he could teach the Egyptians wisdom. And with all he had, with the understanding that he was borned a spiritual life, or to be a prophet... Prophets are not made; prophets are born. Prophets ... there's a gift of prophecy in the church; but prophets are born. They have the Word of the Lord. Jesus Christ was the Son of God all the way before t...