The Privilege, Promise, Power & Peril of Doctrinal Preaching

by Thomas J. Nettles

The prophets of the New Testament received revelation that was of the same quality and truthfulness as that received by the apostles. They did not have the same historical qualifications as apostles and were under the authority of the apostles. Nevertheless, their messages to and in the churches were accepted as revelatory. Since they must respond to direct apostolic authority, their function and their viability ceased with the end of the apostolic stewardship (1 Cor. 4:1; 14:37-40; 2 Cor. 3:6). In Ephesians, Paul stated that God’s household was “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (2:20). That he referred to the prophets of the New Testament church is verified just a few verses down when he reminded the Ephesian Christians that both his speaking and writing arose from a single stream of revelation and that the prophets who functioned in their churches received revelation also: Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. (Eph. 3:2-5)