Is that False Prophecy or Not? How to Know the Difference
In First Corinthians 14:29-32, we read that Paul addressed multiple fivefold prophets who resided in the church at Corinth.
Referring to their prophetic operation in the church, he told them, “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.”
Notice the word “prophets” is plural, which affirms there were multiple prophets in the church at Corinth. But notice that Paul also said, “…Let the prophets speak.…” This means if prophets are present, and they have something to say, Paul said they should be allowed to speak.
Here, the Greek word for a prophet is prophetes. One component of this word is derived from the Greek word phemi, which means to say, to speak, or to communicate. The use of phemi emphatically tells us a prophet is a speaking or saying gift or one who verbally communicates the heart and mind of God. So in accordance with that gift, Paul said that if a prophet (or multiple prophets) has a word to express, time should be allocated for him to “speak” what God has given him. Indeed, prophets are primarily speaking gifts and, hence, need space allocated so they can speak if they are so moved.
Discerning — ‘Judging’ — A Prophetic Message or Revelation
In First Corinthians 14:29, Paul adds that while one prophet is publicly speaking what he or she has to say, the other present prophets should “judge” the message. Certainly, if a prophetic message — or any message given in any form, for that matter — is contradictory to the Word of God, those who are in spiritual leadership have a God-given responsibility to correct it. But the word “judge” used here is a translation of the Greek word diakrino, which in this context means to carefully discern. The other present prophets are called to carefully listen to and discern every facet and nuance of what is being prophetically communicated.
Paul also implied that as the other prophets carefully listen and discern what is being said, it should not be surprising if another prophet that is present suddenly senses that something else needs to be said or added to the message being communicated. That is why in verse 30, he said, “…If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.”
Paul importantly added that from among the other present prophets who are carefully discerning what is being said, it is possible that additional revelation may be “revealed” that also needs to be spoken and added in order to give the message more fullness or completeness. This is no different than a teacher who triggers additional insights in other fivefold teachers who are listening to a teaching in a meeting. In that Spirit-saturated environment, the Holy Spirit opens the floodgates of revelation and new insights are divinely added to the mix of others who are listening. Paul said, likewise, it is not unusual if additional insights are suddenly “revealed” to other prophets in the room who are listening to the one who is speaking.
The word “revealed” in Greek is a form of apokalupto, which is a compound of the words apo and kalupto. The word apo means away, and the verb kalupsto is the Greek word for a veil, a curtain, or some type of covering. When compounded into the word apokalupto, it means to remove the veil or to remove the curtain so you can see what is on the other side. It refers to something that was veiled or hidden, but suddenly the covering is removed so that what is on the other side becomes clear and visible to the mind or eye.
It is like pulling the curtains out of the way so you can see the scene outside your window. Even though the view was always there for you to enjoy, the curtains blocked your ability to see it. But once the curtains were drawn apart, you suddenly were able to see what was previously hidden from your view. In such a moment when you can see “beyond the veil” to observe what wasn’t previously visible to you, that is what the Bible calls a revelation — translated from the Greek word apokalupto.
Thus, the word “revealed” that Paul used in First Corinthians 14:30 speaks of a prophet who suddenly sees something that had been previously veiled or hidden, but which has become clear and visible to the mind or eye. In the flash of a moment, the obstructing veil is removed and something previ- ously not understood miraculously comes into clear view. In Spirit-saturated atmospheres, such obstructing veils are frequently pulled out of the way, thus enabling one to suddenly see or hear what he has personally never seen or heard before.
I can testify to moments when I have been in such anointed meetings, and, suddenly, the Holy Spirit began to supernaturally open my mind to see and to hear what I never saw or heard before. As I listened to what a speaker was saying, suddenly my spirit was opened up to see other things in addition to what was being spoken. In that atmosphere of revelation where hearts are open and where the Holy Spirit is working, many new things can be “revealed” to people in the anointed atmosphere of that meeting.
What the Prophet Can and Cannot Control — ‘The Spirits of the Prophets are Subject to the Prophets’
Knowing this and having likely experienced it himself, Paul wrote that if one prophet is speaking — and another prophet suddenly sees, hears, or discerns something that needs to be publicly shared — the first prophet must “hold his peace” and allow space for that other prophet to share what he or she has received from the Spirit of God. Perhaps something the first prophet said triggered an insight or revelation in another prophet. In that case, Paul says that, eventually, the prophet who is speaking and holding the congregation’s attention must “hold his peace” to allow the other to give his insight as well.
The words “hold his peace” are a translation of the Greek word sigao. It means to be silent, but it pictures one who needs to calm himself down, quiet himself, or to “hold his peace” as the King James Version translates it. It is often the case that when a prophet speaks, he or she is absorbed spiritually and emotionally in the message that is being communicated as the speaker endeavors to focus intensely to impart both the message and the heart of God accurately.
The Greek word sigao — translated as “hold his peace” — implies that when a prophet imparts a message, he or she may be so engrossed in the declaration that the prophet may need to “calm” himself or herself to make room for another to speak. Prophets are to be controlled by the Spirit, not by emotion — therefore, Paul said that person can calm, quiet himself, and “hold his peace” if it is evident that someone else has something to add that he or she has received from the Holy Spirit.
If someone replies, “But when the Spirit is speaking through me, I can’t control myself,” it is not altogether true. Such a claimant is inexperienced and immature in his or her gift, or that person is simply in error and deceived. Paul clearly added in First Corinthians 14:31 and 32, “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.”
In verse 31 when Paul says, “…Ye may all prophesy one by one…,” it depicts the presence of multiple prophets in a single congregational setting. Paul was teaching that they may each prophesy one by one, if needed. In other words, taking turns one after the other in a polite and orderly fashion, they each can “hold their peace” and allow other prophets to speak.
When I was younger, I attended the meetings of one of the nation’s most established and well-known prophets, and I often observed that he would stop at times and call on other prophets in the room to ask if they had any- thing to add. He clearly understood something — that he did not have all the revelation himself and needed to graciously make room for the Spirit of God to speak through others.
Prophecy Instructs and Inspires
Paul added in verse 31 the reasoning for God’s order in such a meeting — “…that all may learn, and all may be comforted…” by prophetic ministry. The word “learn” is a form of manthano, a Greek word that pictures students who gain intellectual and applicable knowledge from what is being communicated. The use of manthano lets us know that genuine prophetic ministry is more than a burst of emotion that affects us momentarily. It carries with it an instructional element as well. A real prophetic word may stir the emotions of listeners, but it also provides practical instruction. It is intended to instruct as well as to inspire.
The word “comforted” in verse 31 is a form of the word parakaleo, a compound of the words para and kaleo. Para means alongside and kaleo means to call, to beckon, or to speak to someone. When these two words are compounded, it depicts someone who is right alongside a person, urging him, beseeching him, begging him to make some kind of correct decision.
In the ancient Greek world, this word was often used by military leaders before they sent their troops into battle. Rather than hide from the soldiers the painful reality of war, the leaders would summon their troops and speak straightforwardly with them about the potential dangers of the battlefield. The leaders would inspire their troops by telling them about the glories of winning a major victory.
Instead of ignoring the clear-cut dangers of battle, these officers came right alongside their troops and urged, exhorted, beseeched, begged, and pleaded with them to stand tall, throw their shoulders back, look the enemy straight on — eyeball to eyeball — and face their battles bravely. Thus, we discover that when prophetic ministry occurs, God’s Spirit comes right alongside us to give a call to action and may even warn listeners of ensuing battles and their need to stand tall and to act bravely in the face of aggression. Nearly every prophetic word will give a call to action or ask the listeners to respond in some way.
For example, if a prophetic word says there is “sin in the camp,” it will follow with a call to repentance. If a prophetic word forewarns of hard times, it will follow with a call to face the enemy in the power of the Spirit and to endure until victory is achieved. Thus, we learn from Paul’s words in First Corinthians 14:31 that prophetic ministry is never simply foreboding. It is also filled with practical instruction and a call to action — a way to respond to what God is saying — that will equip those who have an ear to hear with the power to overcome.
But then in First Corinthians 14:32, Paul importantly added, “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.”
The word “subject” in this verse is translated from a form of hupotasso, a Greek word that was used militarily to picture soldiers who recognized the authority of their superior officers and who were in submission to their authority. The word hupotasso inherently implies that one knows his place, rank, or assignment in the army or in any type of organization. It pictures one who is submitted to authority and who knows that he or she must act according to rules that are established by that specific authority. Interestingly and significantly, this word hupotasso — translated “subject” in verse 32 — can also mean to hide behind someone’s back, and it is intended to give the impression that there is protection in submission.
In verse 32, Paul is corporately speaking to multiple prophets in the church at Corinth. He reminds them that each prophet is to know his or her file and rank among the other prophets, to respect one another, and to have an attitude of submission as someone publicly operates prophetically in their midst. Because the word hupotasso strongly implies protection in submission, it also tells us when a prophet has a submitted attitude, if he honestly makes a prophetic mistake, he can be corrected by the other listening prophets. That loving correction provides protection for him, and because of his submis- sion to other prophets who sit nearby to judge what he is saying, it likewise provides protection for the church from prophetic error.
The entire passage in First Corinthians 14:29-32 demonstrates that no prophet has all the revelation and knowledge needed by himself. God speaks through many, and it takes every participant doing his or her part for the whole counsel of God to be imparted to a local church and to the Church in general. Paul clearly gives the encouragement that, if needed, other prophets must be afforded the time to speak so additional insights that are revealed to those prophets can also be heard.
In my book, Apostles and Prophets—Their Roles in the Past, the Present, and the Last Days, we further discuss the subject of Philip’s four prophetic daughters and Agabus the prophet and what Paul wrote about our limited knowledge and limited prophetic capabilities.
