prophecy

Use of the Vocal Gifts in New Testament Corporate Worship

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Speaking with tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, the word of knowledge, and the word of wisdom are among those accompaniments to the baptism in the Holy Spirit that are used in the setting of corporate worship.

The New Testament contains several lists of spiritual gifts or gifts that accompany the baptism in the Holy Spirit; they are sometimes called charismata, “gifts” or “graces” (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4) and sometimes identified as pneumatika, “spiritual gifts” (1 Cor. 12:1; 14:1). Paul wanted worshipers to seek the pneumatika, especially to prophesy (1 Cor. 14:1). Tongues, he explains, are a sign to unbelievers. A “sign” in the Bible often carries the connotation of “offense,” just as Simeon prophesied over the infant Jesus in the temple that he would be “a sign to be opposed” or “spoken against” (Luke 2:34). Tongues, however, edify or build up worshipers (1 Cor. 14:4) as they speak to God in mysteries (things revealed) in the Spirit (14:2).

Prophecy

The biblical prophet (Hebrew navi’, Greek prophētēs) is a spokesman for the Lord. In the Old Testament, the prophet is concerned primarily with maintaining the covenant; in the New Testament, the prophet’s purpose is to mediate instruction, exhortation, and comfort to the body of believers (1 Cor. 14:3).

When Luke records how the Holy Spirit fell upon the Ephesian believers, he mentions that they not only spoke in tongues but also prophesied (Acts 19:6). Although speaking in tongues appears to be strictly a New Testament phenomenon, prophesying under the anointing and influence of the Holy Spirit was a regular occurrence in the worship that took place before the ark of the covenant in David’s tabernacle in Zion. This Davidic worship has been called New Testament worship before its time since it took place directly before the ark in the presence of God, without animal sacrifices. It was probably in this setting that many of the psalms were written, and it is partly from them that information can be gleaned about worship in Zion. Both the account in 1 Chronicles 16:4–7 and the Psalms reveal that vocal and instrumental praise music was its primary characteristic; Psalms and 2 Samuel add dancing and shouting (2 Sam. 6:14–15; Pss. 66:1; 149:3). The Psalms speak of standing (134:1), lifting the hands (134:1–2), clapping (47:1), and bowing and kneeling (95:6), and 1 Chronicles specifically mentions prophecy on musical instruments (25:1).

The New Testament does not refer to prophecy being given musically, but since believers were familiar with the Old Testament practice, and Paul mentions singing in tongues (1 Cor. 14:13–15), it is likely that prophecy as a New Testament spiritual gift is meant to be given to the accompaniment of music. A case can be made for musical prophecy from Paul’s instructions to the Colossians to teach and admonish one another in “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16) and to the Ephesians to “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.… giving thanks” (Eph. 5:19–20). Musical prophecy, then, is for the giving of thanks as well as for edification.

Some Pentecostal churches teach that if tongues are accompanied by interpretation, these are equivalent to prophesy since both are supernatural utterances and both constitute thanksgivings. However, while the Bible does not say that tongues are ever used for any other purpose, prophecy does have functions other than the giving of thanks, which include instruction and revelation. In his instructions concerning spiritual gifts, Paul writes to the Corinthian church that they should pursue prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1), which, he reasoned, would serve to convict any unbeliever who might visit the worship service, as he hears “the secrets of his heart … laid bare” (14:24–25).

Prophecy also has its aspect of predicting events to come. Through a revelation of the Holy Spirit, the prophet Agabus informed the believers at Antioch that a famine would occur (Acts 11:28). In a later prophecy, he warned that Paul would be bound and delivered over to the Gentiles in Jerusalem (21:10). This incident may provide the biblical background for the practice of “personal prophecy” that is common in Pentecostal and charismatic circles, in which a prophet reveals to another believer information concerning some future event, blessing in that person’s life, or insight into a present difficulty.

Tongues and Interpretation

In Pentecostal and charismatic churches, speaking in tongues is often used as a part of the “liturgy.” Contrary to what is often believed by those not familiar with the practice, tongues are not an ecstatic or emotional utterance but are under the control of the worshiper (1 Cor. 14:27–32), who exercises the gift as an act of obedience to the biblical injunction to continually be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). It is common practice in Pentecostal or charismatic churches for one person to speak in tongues while the congregation listens and then for another person to interpret the message, according to Paul’s instructions (1 Cor. 14:27–29). The New Testament seems to indicate that the interpretation should always take the form of a thanksgiving to God. Paul writes:

For this reason, anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.… If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. (1 Cor. 14:13, 16–17)

The New Song

Charismatic congregations frequently sing in tongues, as Paul suggests (1 Cor. 14:15); such singing usually follows immediately after the congregation sings in the known language. In this expression, worshipers weave their individual melodies through the final chord of the congregational song just ended, or even a chord progression, singing personal praises to the Lord either in tongues or in the known language. This does not occur randomly, but for congregations accustomed to this practice, at fairly predictable points in the flow of the “liturgy.” It is variously known as singing a “new song” to the Lord (Pss. 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 149:1), the “song of the Lord” (2 Chron 29:27 KJV), “sing[ing] with my spirit” (1 Cor. 14:15), or the selah, a term found in many of the psalms which may indicate a musical interlude or “lifting up” of praise. Sometimes a solo voice, generally the worship leader, will lead out in such “prophetic song,” and musicians will occasionally “prophesy” on their instruments, in solo or ensemble.

An especially vibrant and powerful worship segment of the “song of the Lord” is sometimes referred to as the “high praises of God” (Ps. 149:6 NASB). This spontaneous chorus of praise, usually supported by instrumental accompaniment, corresponds to John’s description of the voice of the Lord as he stands in the midst of the seven churches (Rev. 1:12–15) speaking with a voice “like the sound of rushing waters.” Ezekiel described the voice of God in the same way (Ezek. 1:24; 43:2). In the Scripture, water is frequently used as a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. Speaking in the context of worship, at the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus described the flow of the Holy Spirit as a spring of water erupting from within the deepest part of the believer (John 7:37–39).

Ezekiel sees a vision of the life or Spirit of God flowing from his sanctuary in an ever-deepening river that brings healing to all it touches (Ezek. 47:1–12). John the Revelator sees the same river in his vision of the church as the city of God; the “water of life” issues from the throne of God in the midst of the city and flows through the center of its street (Rev. 22:1–2). Peter alludes to this metaphor of water when he tells the curious crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost that the outburst of praise by the disciples is the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise through the prophet to “pour out” his Spirit (Acts 2:16–17).

Charismatics view the vocal and instrumental praise song that wells up and flows from God’s people as the voice of the Spirit of God in their midst, evidence of his life being released in the sanctuary and flowing out to bless the nations. Taken seriously is Jesus’ statement to the woman of Samaria that the Lord seeks out worshipers who will worship him “in spirit,” i.e., with energy and vitality, and “in truth,” or according to the principles of the Word (“Your word is truth,” John 17:17).

Word of Wisdom and Word of Knowledge

In addition to speaking in tongues and prophecy, Paul teaches about two other vocal gifts that are exercised in the context of worship. They were prophesied in the Old Testament as endowments of the Messiah, the righteous Branch that would come from the stem of Jesse, the Messiah Christians understand to be Jesus Christ. Isaiah wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and … the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2). Proverbs equates “the fear of the Lord” with “wisdom” (9:10) and also with “knowledge” (1:7).

In the New Testament, these gifts that accompany the resting of the Spirit of God on a believer are known as “the word of wisdom” and “the word of knowledge”; Paul mentions them in 1 Corinthians 12:8. Their source is Christ, who distributes them to his body through the Spirit. As generally understood, the word of wisdom is the supernatural ability to understand and to speak concerning the direction either the church or an individual should take in a given situation. Paul exercised this gift when he advised the ship captain not to continue his journey toward Phoenix, but to winter in Fair Havens. “Men,” he told the officials in charge, “I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also” (Acts 27:10). Later, after the captain had ignored Paul’s warning, as the ship was breaking apart on rocks and the sailors were attempting to escape in the lifeboat, Paul again gave a word of wisdom. To the centurion and soldiers in charge of the prisoners, he said, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved” (27:31).

The word of knowledge, on the other hand, is information given to a believer about some work God is doing in a specific setting; for example, a person with that gift might tell the congregation that the Lord is at that moment healing someone with heart disease or cancer or another infirmity. In the story referred to above, Paul operates in the word of knowledge as well as the word of wisdom when he assures the frightened sailors that they will all arrive at land in safety and only the ship will be lost (Acts 27:34). Another biblical example of a word of knowledge is God’s revelation to Peter that Ananias and Sapphira were lying about the amount of money they had received for the land they sold (Acts 5:1–10).

Teaching and Exhorting

While the gifts of teaching and of exhorting can be exercised outside the context of worship, they are also frequently used within that setting. Both are “horizontal” activities that operate from believer to believer, instead of being a worship activity that focuses “vertically,” toward God himself. To be considered as having a relationship to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, these functions must be performed under his power and anointing, in the same manner as prophesy or speaking in tongues. Strictly speaking, although they are a part of the order of service, they are not worship-oriented.

Conclusion

The exercise of those gifts particularly associated with worship, such as speaking in and interpreting tongues, prophecy, healings, working of miracles, and the gifts of wisdom and knowledge, is intended both to edify the believer and the church (1 Cor. 14:26) and to bring glory to God (Col. 3:16–17). The practice of the vocal gifts is not intended to elevate or call attention to the practitioners. According to Peter, the church exists for the primary purpose of exhibiting and proclaiming the surpassing worth of the One who has brought it into existence as the people of God, calling it from darkness into the kingdom of light (1 Pet. 2:10).

Worship Leadership in the New Testament

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The emergent New Testament church did not have the same clearly defined offices of leadership as did the worship of Israel. However, the functions of the family head, prophet, priest, and king are summed up in Christ, who through the Spirit leads the church, the community of the new covenant, in its worship of almighty God.

Family Heads, Elders, and Worship

The Christian movement expanded largely through the conversion of heads of families, who, in turn, led their entire households in baptism into the faith of Christ. Unlike the rampant individualism of the modern Western world, Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures of the New Testament era made commonplace the conversion of whole families, such as those of Cornelius (Acts 10:24–48) and the jailer at Philippi (Acts 16:27–34). Following their Old Testament counterparts, family heads made provision for the worship needs of their households; that the New Testament church met in private homes no doubt encouraged this responsibility. In the Gospels, Jesus set the example for this type of leadership. As the head of the new family of the kingdom of God, he arranged for the Passover meal with his disciples (Matt. 26:17–19) and presided over the celebration. He had observed this pattern from his youth when Jesus’ extended family had seen to it that he was included in their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover (Luke 2:41–42).

It is often assumed that the organization of the early Christian churches was patterned after that of the synagogue, which had an officer (ro’sh hakkƒneset) who presided over its exercises (Mark 5:22; Luke 8:41; Acts 18:17), an “attendant” (ḥazzan) who handled the sacred scrolls (Luke 4:16–20), and a “messenger” (shƒli‡ḥ) who represented the congregation in leading the liturgical responses of the prayer service. Although it seems reasonable to infer that the elders of the local Christian assembly presided over its acts of worship in a similar fashion, what concrete evidence exists comes from the second century (the Didachē, or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, and the Apology of Justin Martyr), in which we find a president of the congregation who officiated at the Lord’s Supper. In the New Testament church, both theologically and practically, it was Christ himself who was the leader of the family, “head over everything for the church, which is his body” (Eph. 1:22–23). Jesus told his disciples, “One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ” (Matt. 23:9–10 NASB).

The New Testament offers few specific details concerning the function of the elders of the church in leading worship. They were to visit the sick in order to anoint them with oil and pray with them (James 5:14), but this was not corporate worship. The silence of the New Testament concerning the role of elders in leading worship, however, is magnificently broken in the portrayal of the twenty-four elders in the book of Revelation. These elders are archetypal worshipers, falling down before the throne of God and the Lamb (Rev. 4:10; 5:8, 14; 11:16; 19:4), casting their crowns before him (Rev. 4:10), extolling the Lord God in majestic anthem (Rev. 4:11; 5:9–10), and crying out “Amen, Hallelujah!” (Rev. 19:4). Because their number signifies the twelve tribes of the old covenant and the twelve apostles of the new, it is reasonable to conclude that these elders represented the true Israel of God, the faithful covenant community of all believers in the Lord Jesus. This, according to the view taken here, is not an eschatological image but a picture of the worshiping church as a present-day reality—the New Jerusalem, in which the Lord God and the Lamb dwell in the midst of the covenant people (Rev. 21:3). These elders are not so much leaders as responders to the glory of God. Yet their actions express an important truth of Christian leadership, laid down by Jesus himself: a leader is one who serves and by his serving sets the example for others (Mark 9:35; Luke 22:25–27; John 13:12–15). The most effective leader of worship leads by personal example.

Prophecy and Worship in the New Testament

The early Christian church, by virtue of its social status within a hostile culture (whether Jewish or pagan), was not able to conduct large-scale public worship. Sacrifice, of course, was no longer needed after the crucifixion of the Lamb of God. But the festive celebration of the new covenant, as described in the book of Revelation, would have appealed to the apostolic church, had it been possible to observe it; this is also clear from Paul’s declaration that “every knee should bow … and every tongue confesses” (Phil. 2:10–11) the lordship of Christ.

It is not surprising, then, that prophets played a role in shaping early Christian worship, as they had in the worship of Old Testament Israel. Paul urged believers to pursue the spiritual manifestations (pneumatika), especially the practice of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1), and laid down some general rules for their use in worship. Prophecy, he wrote, is of special value in convicting both the “ungifted” and the unbeliever of the presence of God in the assembly, so that he might “fall down and worship God” (1 Cor. 14:24–25).

The exact role of a prophet as a leader in worship is not described in the New Testament (this is also true for other ecclesiastical functions), but something of the practice of the New Testament church may be reflected in the Didachē, where instructions are given for thanksgiving after receiving the Lord’s Supper; the officiant is told to “allow the prophets to give thanks as much as they will” (chapter 10), and the comment is made that “the prophets are your high priests” (chapter 13).

As in Israelite worship, the exercise of the prophetic vocation made it possible for women to play a significant role in worship in the new covenant community. In the account of Jesus’ infancy, we hear of the prophetess Anna, who “never left the temple but worshiped night and day” (Luke 2:36–38). Philip the evangelist had seven unmarried daughters, all of whom were prophetesses (Acts 21:9). Paul indicated that it was perfectly proper for a woman to pray or prophesy in the assembly, provided her head was covered (1 Cor. 11:5; evidently, her long hair was considered appropriate covering, 1 Cor. 11:15). Paul echoed Moses’ desire that all the Lord’s people be prophets (1 Cor. 14:5). It is correct to conclude that the Spirit of Christ is prophetic (Luke 4:18–19) and rests on the entire community of those endued with power as his witnesses (Acts 1:8).

Priesthood in the New Testament

The Acts of the Apostles reports that many of the Jewish priests became Christians in the earliest days of the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:7). The New Testament church, however, had no office corresponding to that of the priest in the Israelite religion. In part, this was because it did not conduct sacrificial rites. A more basic reason, however, can be found in the underlying idea of the people of God. As far back as the giving of the Law, the Lord had called all Israel to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:6), to enter into his awesome presence—a vocation the people refused to accept, preferring that Moses alone draw near to the Lord (Exod. 20:19; Deut. 5:23–27). In the crucifixion of Christ, however, the veil hiding the inner sanctuary had been stripped away (Matt. 27:51; Rev. 11:19), revealing both the emptiness of the old institutions and the fullness of the glory of the covenant God, to whom all believers, regardless of genealogy or ethnic background, have access through Christ (Eph. 2:18). Thus all Christians have been called to a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9), a ministry not of an earthly altar, but of proclaiming the excellencies of God and his deliverance—the true sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving (Heb. 13:15). Jesus Christ, the “great high priest” (Heb. 4:14), has already offered himself as the only efficacious sacrifice (Heb. 7:26–27).

The Kingship of Christ

Perhaps because of the social position of the early Christians, earthly kings played no part in the leadership of New Testament worship. (contrary to popular imagination, the magi who worship the Christ child are not called kings in the biblical text [Matt. 2:1–12]). But the role of the Davidic king as a mediator of the covenant is integral to the New Testament’s proclamation of Jesus as the Christ (Greek Christos, “anointed one,” equivalent to Hebrew Mashi‡ḥ, a kingly title). In the New Testament, the concept of kingship is transferred to the spiritual plane; as crucified King (John 19:14–22), Christ disarmed the enemies of his people in spiritual warfare (Col. 2:13–15). The Lamb that was slain now has received power, dominion, and worship (Rev. 5:11–14). As the faithful witness and the Word of the covenant, the King of kings and Lord of lords has taken up the sword as the head of the armies of heaven (Rev. 19:11–16). Jesus is the priest-king “like Melchizedek” (Heb. 7:15), and the “mediator of a new covenant” (Heb. 9:15; 12:24). In the New Testament, as it was for David, the role of the king as a fighting man and his role as covenant mediator are combined into one and applied to Christ in the sphere of worship.

Further, as members of Christ, all believers are “kings and priests” (Rev. 1:6 KJV) who reign with him on the earth (Rev. 5:10). According to Paul, by grace, we “reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17). “You have become kings,” he tells the Corinthians (1 Cor. 4:8). And to the Roman Christians, he declares that God “will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20). As with the offices of prophet and priest, the office of king is also applied theologically to all members of the new covenant community.

Christ Fulfills All Roles

In the New Testament, all the Old Testament roles of worship leadership are incorporated in Jesus Christ. Christ is “head of the church” (Eph. 5:23), the new family of the kingdom of God, which by his death he has created “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9). As a Spirit-endowed preacher of the kingdom of God, he is also a prophet, a new Moses, teaching the people “as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matt. 7:29). He is the great High Priest who offers the only efficacious sacrifice for the remission of sins and so removes the barrier to covenant with God (Heb. 9:11–15). In his resurrection, he is exalted to the right hand of the Father as both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:32–36) and governs as “the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5). As head of the family and mediator of the covenant, he officiates as host of the new covenant meal, the Lord’s Supper (Mark 14:23–25), which, in the history of the church, has been the fundamental and most distinctive act of Christian worship.

The preeminence of the living Christ in the worship of the early church explains why the New Testament says so little concerning the role of ecclesiastical functionaries in the conduct of worship. Christ himself directs the worship of the church through the Holy Spirit. Thus, New Testament worship appears to be free-flowing and spontaneous. Spirit-filled believers offer “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19). They come offering up “to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Heb. 13:15). In their assemblies, “everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation” (1 Cor. 14:26); Paul’s strictures concerning decency and order in worship do not cancel its basic thrust of response to the Spirit of Christ. Elders, overseers, and other church functionaries have no clearly designated role as worship leaders, with the possible exception of the prophets. Nor do the New Testament writings provide any instruction concerning who is to administer the Lord’s Supper; even the Pastoral Epistles are silent on this subject. The specialized functions and liturgical offices found in the later church are not present in the New Testament but belong to the postbiblical period.