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Prophesying in part

We charismatics like to use this verse to justify when a modern-day prophet makes a prophecy and it doesn’t come to pass:

1 Corinthians 13.9: For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

It seems we use “in part” to mean “could be incorrect.” Have you heard this? It’s exactly what I was taught how I should think about New Testament prophecy.

The idea I was taught is that Old Testament prophets were somehow overcome or controlled (or something) by God’s Spirit and so were able to prophesy without error. And it’s because of this perfect prophesy that the OT was able to have laws about how to know if a person is actually a prophet: what they say comes true. Here’s the go-to verse for that:

Deuteronomy 18.22: when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

And I was taught that New Testament prophets are different in that they prophesy “in part” — they can make mistakes. They can tell us what they think is a word from God, and be wrong— and yet still be a prophet.

So how wrong can a prophet be and still be a prophet? I don’t think anyone ever gave a percentage. I do remember my pastor talking about a prophet in our church and saying he is about 30% correct and that’s a good percentage.

That really is a low bar.

Bliss, torment, and the temptation of metaphor

I’ve been thinking about how Christians tend to portray the eternal destinies of believers and unbelievers as either “bliss in the presence of God” or “torment away from God’s presence.”

So it’s bliss verses torment.

However, the Bible over and over portrays the distinction as between “life” and “death.” It is so amazingly common to see this; once I started noticing it I can’t unsee it.

The gospel according to Acts

I’m writing this from a children’s home in Mexico, where I’m with a group of men who are constructing a multi-purpose building for the children. It’s very rewarding and will bless the kids, but that’s not what I’m thinking about tonight.

Instead, I keep thinking about a song the kids sang for us. It’s in Spanish, and you can find it online if you search on the first few words. I’ll provide the Spanish words, and then an English translation.

Dios me ama
Y he pecado
Y Christo murió por mí
Si yo le recibo seré su hijo
Y es su plan para mí

In English, it’s:

God loves me
And I have sinned
And Christ died for me
If I receive him, I will be his child
And this is his plan for me

It reminds me of the “Four Spiritual Laws” which I heard a lot as a high school student in youth group. They go something like this:

God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
Humanity is tainted by sin and is therefore separated from God.
Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for sin.
We must place our faith in Jesus Christ as savior in order to receive the gift of salvation.

It seems to me that while everything in the song and in the laws is true, it’s NOT what the apostles preached when they evangelized.