THE CHURCH AS A PROPHETIC VOICE
It is my belief that the church is to be a prophetic voice. If this is the case, and I hope to show that it is the case, then the question needs to be asked, “What does it mean for the church to be a prophetic voice? In order to do this I will briefly describe the prophetic role in the Old Testament, then how this plays out in the New Testament. Once we have noted the biblical witness regarding the prophetic function, I will suggest what this might mean for the church today.
The Old Testament prophets, unlike the kings and priests, were not credentialed in terms of family lineage, and came from a variety of backgrounds. They were generally disruptive of the status quo set in place by what Walter Brueggemann calls, the Jerusalem elite – read kings and priests. The prophets were disruptive because they had a “prophetic imagination”. They could see how things were, and how things ought to be. How things ought to be was established by the Sinai Covenant and the laws in Deuteronomy. The prophets creatively interpreted these formative writings for their contemporary situations, often using poetry.
The Exodus and the Sinai Covenant established Israel as a nation, one that was in covenant relationship with the LORD, the God of Israel. Because of this covenant relationship of the LORD with the nation, the prophets were prophets to the nation. That is, God used the prophets to remind Israel of its covenant obligations, particularly when Israel didn’t live up to its responsibilities, usually due to the failings of the Jerusalem elite. These failings meant that Israel did not fulfil its vocation to be a priesthood for the nations, and a light to the nations. Thus, the prophets spoke to Israel, but Israel herself was to be a prophet to the nations.
In the New Testament we look first to Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is the Anointed One, and as such fulfils the roles of Prophet, Priest, and King. Jesus’ earthly ministry is primarily to the Jewish people, but he also fulfils Israel’s vocation to be a light to the nations (John 8:12). As God’s obedient Son, Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, is faithful Israel.
The early church is prophetic in at least two ways: first in its proclamation of the gospel (Acts 2-4, Rev. 19:10), and secondly in bringing words that strengthen, encourage, and comfort fellow believers (1 Cor. 14:1-5). Paul also tells us in 1 Cor.13:9 that this prophesying within the church is
“in part”. Unlike Scripture, prophecy is in part and requires discernment. The measure for discerning prophecy is Scripture, but Scripture needs to be read well.
So we come at last to the church’s prophetic voice today. The basis for the church’s prophetic ministry is the prophethood of all believers (Acts 2 and Rev. 19:10). The Holy Spirit is poured out on all believers, and “the testimony of (to) Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy”. This testimony of (to) Jesus is grounded in the biblical narrative. The Scriptures’ over-arching narrative of Creation, Fall, Redemption (the story of Israel, climaxing in its Messiah Jesus, and overflowing by the Spirit through the followers of Christ), and Consummation (new heavens and a new earth) frames how we read our Bibles, and informs the prophetic imagination. The Bible as the word of God provides an alternative narrative to the world’s narrative. Prophecy is the imaginative articulation of this alternative word.
This God-given alternative word functions in at least two ways. The first is prophecy within the church. Its primary function here is to strengthen, encourage, and comfort the people of God. This can be to people on a personal level, or to the church as the body of Christ (local, national, or global). This word can be an encouragement to persevere, or can be a challenge for the church to live up to its identity. For the church to be salt and light in the world. The second way the prophetic vocation of the church can operate is for the church to be an alternative word in and to the world. It does this by being the church – living up to our identity. Also, through our testimony of (to) Jesus. This includes sharing the good news of God’s love for the world, and what N. T. wright calls, “speaking truth to power”. We are to do this in a way that embodies God’s self-giving love. That like Jesus we are full of grace and truth.