Last week I listened to a sermon by a man who introduced himself as a Prophet of God. I have to admit, it caught my attention. Not because of what he preached. In fact, before he had even begun his message, my mind was already wrestling with a different question.

What exactly does that title mean?

I’ve heard pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries, and Bible scholars. But “prophet” seemed different. It wasn’t simply describing a ministry. It sounded like a claim to speak on God’s behalf.

As I listened, I found myself wondering, If someone today calls himself a prophet, how should I respond? The question isn’t really about one man. It’s about what God says. The Bible uses the word prophet with tremendous weight. When Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel spoke, they repeatedly declared, “Thus says the LORD.” They weren’t offering personal opinions or spiritual insights. They were delivering God’s message. Their authority rested entirely on the One who had sent them. That is why God treated false prophecy so seriously. To claim to speak for God when He had not spoken was to place words in His mouth.

Yet when we come to the New Testament, we discover something remarkable. The opening verses of Hebrews tell us,

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
Hebrews 1:1–2 (ESV)

The writer isn’t diminishing the prophets. He is showing that God’s fullest revelation has come through Jesus Christ. The apostles were chosen to bear authoritative witness to Christ. Through their teaching, God gave His church the New Testament Scriptures. Jude later described the Christian faith as “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). The foundation has been laid.

Does that mean God is silent today?

Not at all.

Every time we open His Word, God speaks. The Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture, convicts us of sin, comforts us in suffering, and guides us into truth. God answers prayer. He directs our steps through His providence. He encourages us through fellow believers. But those wonderful works of God are different from someone claiming to deliver new revelation with the authority of, “Thus says the Lord.”

Some faithful Christians believe the New Testament gift of prophecy continues today in a different, non-authoritative sense. Others believe that particular gift ended with the apostolic age. While sincere believers differ on that question, we should all agree on something far more important: No person today speaks with authority equal to Scripture. Every sermon. Every book. Every podcast. Every prophecy. Every impression. Every spiritual experience. Every teacher—including this one—must be measured against the Word of God.

That was the example of the Bereans. Luke commended them because they “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Even the Apostle Paul’s teaching was tested against Scripture.

As I finished listening to that sermon, I realized my original question had changed. Instead of asking, “Is he a prophet?” I found myself asking, “Is what he is teaching faithful to what God has already revealed?” That is ultimately the safer question.

Titles can impress us. Personalities can influence us. But God’s people have never been called to place their confidence in titles. We are called to place our confidence in Christ and in the Word He has given us.

Perhaps we don’t need another voice claiming to speak for God. Perhaps we need to become better listeners to the voice He has already spoken.

To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
Isaiah 8:20 (ESV)

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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