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.
Sirs, we would see Jesus
61-1224 §14
When I seen what those men and women went through with back there and see ... to maintain this same gospel; and when they preached this same gospel, the same thing that happened in the Old Testament, New Testament, and them, just exactly the same, so that gives it one, two, three witnesses, every word is established. The same God that dealt with the old prophets, dealt with the apostles and dealt with the Pre-Nicene brethren; and here He is today, dealing the same way with His people, with the same signs, same wond...
Christ is revealed in His own Word
65-0822M §51
So perfect... The Word of God is so perfect, even to the Old and New Testament is two halves and one whole. That's right. Old Testament's half of it, and New Testament's half of it. Put it together, you got the whole revelation of Jesus Christ. There's the prophet speaking, and here He is in person, see; two halves and one whole. Now, we don't want to take too much time.
We would see Jesus
62-0712 §5
I believe that Paul was very fundamental, scriptural, in everything that he did. We all have to believe that because ... to believe the Bible. God would not ... permitted this man to write the Bible, the books in the Bible that he did. I believe Paul of the New Testament was like Moses of the Old. Paul was a missionary prophet to the Gentiles. Now, we're trusting that in this that people will understand that Paul... Where I think that he received it, that... You know Elisha one time, a great prophet of the Lord......
Thy faith has saved thee
54-0411 §4
I'm just wondering, friends, tonight, if we can call: The Jews Seek Signs; Greeks ... Wisdom. The Jew is still a Jew; he still seeks signs. Picture Pethrus, the head of the Philadelphian Church in Stockholm, Sweden; of which Brother Moore, and Brother Brown, and I have just returned recently, last two years from over there. They said they sent a half-a-million Bibles down to those Jews which have been returning back to Palestine. They're reading the New Testament. They'd never heard of Jesus ever being on earth. Be...
We would see Jesus
58-0523 §17
Many of you men, here tonight, you teachers know in the Old Testament they had a way of knowing whether a man was telling the truth or not. And they took a man to the temple, and they had what's called the Urim and Thummim. And that was the breastplate Aaron wore. And it had twelve stones in it, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. And when a prophet prophesied, dreamer told a dream, and if it was the truth, and God was in that dream, or in that prophecy, all those lights put out a supernatural light, a conglo...