Prophecy (4394) propheteia by Greek Word Studies

Prophecy (4394) (propheteia from pró = before or forth + phemí = to tell, to speak) has the literal meaning of speaking forth, with no connotation of prediction or other supernatural or mystical significance. Propheteia can refer to either spoken or written words. See also Related Resources for more detailed discussion of prophecy/prophets: Dictionary Discussion of Prophecy (see esp ISBE Article) Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prophecy Propheteia is used here in 2Peter 1:20 not primarily in the sense of prediction but in its more basic and broader meaning of speaking forth, of proclaiming a message. Mounce writes that... A prophecy can be a prediction about the future, but in the majority of its uses it refers to authoritative speech that has its origin with God. It can refer to prophetic words (Rev 19:10) or activities (11:6). Propheteia refers to the words of the prophets of the OT (Mt 13:14, 2 Pet. 1:20) and in the NT church (1Co 14:6), where it is seen as a gift of the Holy Spirit (Ro 12:6; 1Co 12:10; 13:2; 14:22, 23, 24, 25). Prophecy should be respected, but it should also be tested (1Th 5:20, 21; cf. 1Co 14:29, 30, 31, 32). That is, while prophecy carries some authority, it is ultimately subject to the authority of the apostles and their writings. The gift of prophecy may never contradict the authoritative Word of God, such as is found in Revelation (Re 1:3; 22:19). (Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan or Computer version) BDAG (summarized)... 1. act of interpreting divine will or purpose, prophetic activity (Re 11:6) 2. 2. the gift of interpreting divine will or purpose, gift of prophesying (Ro 12:6, 1Co 12:10, 13:2, 8, 14:22, 1Th 5:20, Re 19:10) 3. the utterance of one who interprets divine will or purpose, prophecy... a. of OT inspired statement (Mt 13:14, 2Pe 1:20, 21)...b. of inspired statements by Christian prophets...in the form of a prophetic saying (1Co 14:6, 1Th 5:20, 1Ti 1:18, 4:14, Re 1:3) (Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature or Wordsearch) Liddell-Scott says propheteia is... the gift of interpreting the will of the gods, Orac. ap. Luc. II. in N.T., the gift of expounding scripture, of speaking and preaching. UBS says propheteia is... preaching the message of God, the gift of preaching the message of God; an inspired message or utterance; intelligible preaching, an intelligible message (as opposed to speaking in tongues Thayer defines propheteia as discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; especially by foretelling future events. Used in the NT (1) of the utterances of the OT prophets: Mt 13:14; 2Pe 1:20,21 (2) of the prediction of events relating to Christ’s kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions pertaining thereto: Rev 11:6; 22:19; the spirit of prophecy, the divine mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due, 10" class="scriptRef">Rev 19:10; Rev 1:3; 22:7,10,18; (3) of the endowment and speech of the Christian teachers called prophetai (see prophetes, II. 1 f.): Ro 12:6; 1Cor 12:10; 13:2; 14:6,22; plural the gifts and utterances of these prophets, 1Co 13:8; 1Th 5:20 specifically, of the prognostication of those achievements which one set apart to teach the gospel will accomplish for the kingdom of Christ, 1Ti 4:14; plural 1Ti 1:18. Vine writes that... "Though much of OT prophecy was purely predictive, see Micah 5:2, e.g., and cp. John 11:51, prophecy is not necessarily, nor even primarily, fore-telling. It is the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means, Mt 26:68, it is the forth-telling of the will of God, whether with reference to the past, the present, or the future, see Ge 20:7; Dt. 18:18; Rev 10:11; Rev 11:3. … In such passages as 1Co 12:28; Ep 2:20, the 'prophets' are placed after the 'Apostles,' since not the prophets of Israel are intended, but the 'gifts' of the ascended Lord, Ep 4:8, 11; cp. Acts 13:1…the purpose of their ministry was to edify, to comfort, and to encourage the believers, 1Co 14:3, while its effect upon unbelievers was to show that the secrets of a man's heart are known to God, to convict of sin, and to constrain to worship, 1Co 14:24, 25. With the completion of the canon of Scripture prophecy apparently passed away, 1Co 13:8, 9 (Ed: But see MacArthur below). In his measure the teacher has taken the place of the prophet, cp. the significant change in 2Pe 2:1. The difference is that, whereas the message of the prophet was a direct revelation of the mind of God for the occasion, the message of the teacher is gathered from the completed revelation contained in the Scriptures." (Vine, W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. 1996. Nelson or Logos or Wordsearch) The gift of prophecy is simply the gift of preaching, of proclaiming the Word of God. God used many Old and New Testament prophets to foretell future events, but that was never an indispensable part of prophetic ministry. Paul gives perhaps the best definition of the prophetic gift stating that... one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. (1Co14:3). Peter’s admonition also applies to that gift when he states... Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God (1Pe 4:11). John MacArthur notes that the related verb... propheteuo means to speak forth, to proclaim. It assumes the speaker is before an audience, and could mean “to speak publicly.” The connotation of prediction was added sometime in the Middle Ages. Although many of the prophets made predictions, that was not their basic ministry and the idea is not involved in the original terms used to describe them and their work. The original terms, in fact, did not necessarily carry the idea of revelation. God revealed a great deal of His Word through the prophets, but much of their ministry was simply proclaiming, expounding, and exhorting with revelation already given. The biblical prophets sometimes revealed (see 1Ti 4:14; 2Pe 1:21) and sometimes only reiterated what had already been revealed. A prophet of God, therefore, is simply one who speaks forth God’s Word, and prophecy is the proclaiming of that Word. The gift of prophecy is the Spirit–given and Spirit–empowered ability to proclaim the Word effectively. Since the completion of Scripture, prophecy has no longer been the means of new revelation, but has only proclaimed what has already been revealed in Scripture. (MacArthur, J: 1Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press or Logos or Wordsearch) (Bolding and color added for emphasis). NIDNTT writes that... Prophetes is a noun made up of the stem -phē-, to say, proclaim, which always has a religious connotation, and the prefix pro-, which as a temporal adv. has the meaning of before, in advance. This may suggest the meaning: one who predicts, one who tells beforehand. It appears to be confirmed by the use of prophēmi, to predict, proclaim in advance. However, prophēmi is not found until very late, and so has no value as etymological evidence. Indeed, when one examines the combination of pro- with verbs of speech in earlier writings, it is evident that in no case does the object of the vb. point to the future. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan or Computer version) Propheteia - 19x in 19v - NAS = prophecies(1), prophecy(15), prophesying(1), prophetic utterance(1), prophetic utterances(1). Matthew 13:14 "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; Romans 12:6-note Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith Comment: Here propheteia refers to the gift of prophecy which is the Spirit-endowed skill of publicly proclaiming God’s Word. In one sense all believers since their possess the Spirit, are equipped to speak forth the Word of God, but some believers are specifically given the ability to do so as for example in public proclamation and preaching of the gospel. (See also John MacArthur Romans 12:6-7 Ministry of Spiritual Gifts, Part 2 ) 1 Corinthians 12:10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. Comment: Those who feel prophecy was a temporary sign gift base their interpretation primarily on this passage. John MacArthur assumes "that prophecy is a permanent edifying gift." (Commentary on 1Corinthians) 1 Corinthians 14:6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? 1 Corinthians 14:22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. 1 Thessalonians 5:20-note do not despise prophetic utterances. Comment: The speaking forth of the truth of God's Word is the primary intent of this passage. Paul is not primarily referring to "new revelation". He knew that prophecy or speaking forth of the Word of Truth (especially sound doctrine) which was already revealed in the Old and New Testaments was essential for the spiritual health of the Body of Christ, thus the command not to look down upon it or despise it! We are seeing a movement in modern Christianity, in which many churches are minimizing the importance of the Bible (it's not "seeker friendly"!) and are in a very practical sense, "despising" prophetic utterances! The modern church desperately needs to read and heed the timeless truth in Jeremiah (Jer 6:16)! 1 Timothy 1:18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, John MacArthur comments: Timothy had a confirmation to live up to. Timothy’s calling had been confirmed through prophecies. Prophets in the New Testament era spoke the revelation of God’s will to the early church. Prophecy is the gift of proclaiming God’s Word. In one sense, anyone who preaches or teaches God’s Word is a prophet. Unlike present-day teachers and preachers, however, New Testament prophets occasionally received direct revelation from God. While doctrine was the province of the apostles (cf.. Acts 2:42), prophets seem to be the instruments God used to speak of practical issues (cf. Acts 21:10, 11). (MacArthur, John: 1Timothy Moody Press or Logos or Wordsearch) 1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. John MacArthur Comments: There was a public affirmation of his gift through direct revelation from God (cf.. 1Ti 1:18), though the circumstances of that utterance are not given in Scripture. It likely took place, however, shortly after Timothy met Paul on the apostle’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:1, 2, 3). Timothy’s prophetic call was reminiscent of that of Paul himself (cf.. Acts 13:2). In our day, God’s call comes not through special revelation, but through providence. If God wants a man in the ministry, He will give him that desire and open a door of opportunity for him. (MacArthur, John: 1Timothy Moody Press or Logos or Wordsearch) God gave that gift to Timothy, and then articulated that gift through the prophecies and then confirmed it by the laying on of hands on Timothy as an act of confirmation by the elders. So the elders laid their hands confirming Timothy to the ministry because God Himself through the voice of the prophets through prophecies had articulated Timothy's ministry. (Fighting the Noble War--Part 2 -- John MacArthur) 2 Peter 1:20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. Revelation 1:3-note Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Tony Garland comments: This book is not merely an allegory or devotional treatise extolling the eventual victory of good over evil. The events described within this book are bona fide prophecy and include the prediction of actual historical events. (Ref) Revelation 11:6-note These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. Revelation 19:10-note Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Comment: The idea of "spirit of prophecy" is that "Genuine prophecy reports God’s own revelation of Christ and never deviates from Scripture." (MacArthur) Tony Garland has a lengthy comment on spirit of prophecy: All revelation given by God through His prophets was by the Spirit. “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue” (2S. 23:2). “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin” (Mic. 3:8). When Jesus referred to David’s statement in Psalm 110, He said, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord”?” (Mt 22:43). Peter said, “this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas” (Acts 1:16). Jesus said it would be by “the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father” that the apostles would receive testimony concerning Him (John 15:26), “He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13). The NT prophet Agabus “stood up and showed by the Spirit that there as going to be a great famine throughout all the world” (Acts 11:28). Later, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’ ” (Acts 21:11). Two passages written by Peter, by the power of the Spirit, are of particular importance: (1Pe. 1:10,11, 12) Peter indicates that it was “the Spirit of Christ who was in” the prophets that testified. Thus, the Spirit of Jesus was the empowering source of their testimony. Yet Peter also indicates that the Spirit “testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” In other words, the message which the Spirit testified concerned Jesus Christ. (2Pe 1:19, 20, 21) Peter indicates that all prophecy came by the Spirit. When the prophets spoke, God spoke by His Spirit. They were moved (pheromenoi) by the Holy Spirit. It was not their own will, but God’s initiative which produced their inspired testimony. They were born along by God’s Spirit much like a ship is driven by wind and weather (Acts 27:15). They were not in ultimate control, but were vessels which God moved according to His purpose (John 3:8).(A Testimony of Jesus Christ) Revelation 22:7-note "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." Tony Garland writes: In order to keep the words of the prophecy of this book, believers must: 1. Guard the text from tampering and corruption. 2. Guard the proper interpretation of the words. “Believers are called to guard or protect the book of Revelation. It must be defended against detractors who deny its relevance, against critics who deny its veracity and authority, as well as against confused interpreters who obscure its meaning.” See Systems of Interpretation.. 3. Apply the lessons of the book to their own lives (Lk 6:46; Jn 14:15; 15:10). 4. Promulgate the message of the book to the church and to those who have not heard. (note) Revelation 22:10-note And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Revelation 22:18-note I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; Revelation 22:19-note and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. There are only 6 uses of propheteia in the Septuagint (LXX) - 2Chr 15:8; 32:32; Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Neh 6:12; Jer 23:31 Ezra 5:1 When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, Ezra 6:14 And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Nehemiah 6:12 Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Jeremiah 23:31 "Behold, I am against the prophets," declares the LORD, "who use their tongues (Lxx translates with propheteia = prophecies) and declare, 'The Lord declares.' SCRIPTURE: DIVINE ORIGIN HUMAN OPERATION Made (5342) (phero) means to bear, bring forth (see discussion of the second use of phero below) What was "borne along"? In context phero refers to bearing along or conveying a divine proclamation (prophecy). The bearing along was not the result of men's power but of the Spirit. Deffinbaugh... Prophets did not originate prophecy; they were instruments of the Holy Spirit who used them to speak from God. Prophecy does not begin with man’s will but with God’s will. Thus, the interpretation of prophecy must not be subject to man’s will. Conversely, man’s will must be subject to the Scriptures, as the Spirit of God makes their meaning clear. (Peter’s Readiness to Remind- Bible.org ) Beloved, don't miss what this verse is saying - Simply stated, Peter is teaching that the Scriptures are inspired by God (cf 2Ti 3:16, 17-note). Stated another way, what Peter is saying (in essence) in 2Peter 1:20, 21 is that one Author guided the Biblical writers through the process of recording His Words with their pens. Indeed, the resulting inarguable unity of the 66 books is another amazing proof of the divine inspiration and authority of the entire Bible! Hallelujah! (See A W Pink's The Divine Inspiration of the Bible) "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/2_peter_119-21.htm#p

Be the first to react on this!

Prophecy (4394) propheteia

Greek Word Studies

Greek Word Studies ( - )

Group of Brands