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NASB | 1 Corinthians 14:3 But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 14:3 But [on the other hand] the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification [to promote their spiritual growth] and [speaks words of] encouragement [to uphold and advise them concerning the matters of God] and [speaks words of] consolation [to compassionately comfort them]. |
Bible Question: psychic vs prophet,difference? if you know information and don't proclaim to be a christian your 'doomed' if you 'know info' and claim christianity it seems 'ok'why? a lot of self proclaimed 'psychics' talk about God and the holy spirit and believe thetr 'gift' is from GOD.HOW DO WE KNOE THE DIFFERENCE? i am asking respectfully |
Bible Answer: Dear Believer53, By the way welcome to the Forum! I Corinthians 14:3 But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. We need to be carelful to have a Biblical understanding of what constituted as prophecy in the first century church here. What kind of information a prophet such as Paul was describing is a bit different than what you are sort of describing as bing a Christian and "knowing things". Prophecy is not simply a matter of "knowing things". Prophecy is about knowing "certain things", not all things. Paul is qulifiying the scope of the gift here; 1)edification - information that builds up the body of Christ that would concern everyone in the body and also separately as an edification to the body of Christ of the conviction of an unbeliever because the secrets of his heart are exposed in the congregation - see verses 24 and 25 for this part, most miss this part as part of the possilities of the use of the gift in the equation of it being valid at all today. 2)exohortation - the clarion call to use sound doctrine to address life issues and Christian practice - see II Timothy 3:16 3)consolation - the use of godly knowledge to provide comfort in distress. All of these things are done by the prophet with knowledge provided by the Holy Spirit to the prophet. A good example would be Agabus the prophet in Acts 11:27-30 who predicted a famine and the need for the congregation to send relief for the brethren in Judea. The famine did indeed occur as a recorded historical event and the relief was sent in time to provide much needed help. Do you see how this edified the body? It is not about being not doomed if you are a Christian if you know stuff and doomed as an unbeliever if you know stuff. Most self proclaimed psychics claim they are hearing from God because they believe they are practicing white magic, which presupposes that God has some dead good spirits hanging around to wait to speak to the living as "guides" in order to give life intructions to the "lost". This is a Babylonian and Egyptian practice of pagan idol worship that included "spirit guides" - there is nothing new under the sun dear... Have you ever seen Oprah? Well you aren't missing anything if you didn't, she has on a whole lot of new age teachers of vairous beliefs. She has had on a bunch of folks who will claim that they are hearing from God to tell you your business. That is being psychic, to tell you something to edify only you, not the whole body of Christ or to convict you to worship God. Do you see the difference now? God's Day To You, Tamara |