TESTING THE PROPHETIC SERIES
Constitution of the Holy Apostles
The Apostolic Constitutions are a collection of eight works detailing early church life, structure, moral conduct, church discipline, and worship. The work was compiled and written between 350-400AD. It was considered a compilation of what had been handed down from the first century. Book eight begins by dealing with the nature of spiritual gifts. It drew some of its inspiration from the earlier Didache.
The Constitution lays out a series of checks and balances regarding how the church was to think about the gifts. Having seen incredibly gifted men like Anthony the Great, whose lifestyle of holiness was an example to many, and others like Arius who had used his influence to divide the church, it had become increasingly necessary to lay out how the church was to recognize a truly gifted individual.
The Constitution starts off by stating that it is not within the power of the individual to gift or call themselves. No one person gets to determine their gift, destiny, or call. We are to give our lives to God, and he determines everything else. A good marketing strategy does not a prophet make.
““And to be a Christian is in our own power; but to be an apostle, or a bishop, or in any other such office, is not in our own power, but at the disposal of God, who bestows the gifts. And thus much concerning those who are vouchsafed gifts and dignities.””
And further to that, the gift of salvation was the greatest gift anyone could receive. The drive of our hunger is to be united with Him and to enjoy His presence. This is the gift of God::
““…there is no man who has believed in God through Christ, that has not received some spiritual gift: for this very thing, having been delivered from the impiety of polytheism, and having believed in God the Father through Christ, this is a gift of God.” ”
But, since God does give gifts, and those gifts He bestows upon men like Saul, whose insecurity doomed his success, it becomes necessary to discern between a prophet like Samuel and one like Balaam. The Constitution says the disposition of one who receives a spiritual gift ought to be humility and not exaltation, and scripture gives us our true test:
““…if among you also there be a man or a woman, and such a one obtains any gift, let him be humble, that God may be pleased with him. For says He: “Upon whom will I look, but upon him that is humble and quiet, and trembles at my words?” ”
The purpose of giftedness is not for the individual’s glory, but so that God may be known to the unbeliever:
““These gifts were first bestowed on us apostles when we were about to preach the Gospel to every creature, and afterwards were of necessity afforded to those who had by our means believed; not for the advantage of those who perform them, but for the conviction of the unbelievers, that those whom the word did not persuade, the power of signs might put to shame: for signs are not for us who believe, but for the unbelievers, both for the Jews and Gentiles.””
Gifts should not be a reason to elevate the individual. It is God that determine what a person receives, how can you take pride in what you did not determine or work? If the work is of your own accord, then show your power. If the work is of God, then He alone receives glory:
““Let not, therefore, anyone that works signs and wonders judge any one of the faithful who is not vouchsafed the same: for the gifts of God which are bestowed by Him through Christ are various; and one man receives one gift, and another another (gift).””
During the Christian life, it should be a natural expectation that the gifts of God would flow in the life of the believer. The Constitution allows no room for a conversation that assumes the gifts have somehow ceased. Rather, they are integral to the life of the church. After all, Jesus said the Father would give good things to His children:
Matthew 7:11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
The Constitution echoes these sentiments and ties the operation of gifts in with the promise Christ makes to the Apostles:
““With good reason did He say to all of us together, when we were perfected concerning those gifts which were given from Him by the Spirit: “Now these signs shall follow them that have believed in my name: they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall by no means hurt them: they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover.””
As with the Shepherd of Hermas, how might we modernize these standards? Some simple guidelines of understanding would help to balance out the excesses found with in the prophetic movement. We ought to look for people who carry themselves with humility and tenderness. Some simple guidelines following from the Constitutions:
You cannot gift or call yourself and you do not determine your destiny.
Humility ought to be born out of a recognition that God alone saves, apart from Him we are nothing.
Meekness that is pleasing to God should be a modern standard
Fostering a desire to be quiet more than that of being heard. Wisdom and profundity exist in fewer words.
There must be a reverence for the voice of God. The prophetic person should carry an immense concern for accurately conveying the heart of the Father.
The are not divisive but seek the unity of the bride of Christ.
Not self-exalting or self-aggrandizing.
May the Lord help us discern the true marks of those He has gifted and called to minister to His bride.