In the 5th century, a man named Palladius wrote the story of Valens, a monastic from Palestine. Valens was a well regarded monastic whose fervor for discipline had won him favor in the church. The story of is Valens’ is of his slow descent into pride.

“By virtue of the great hardship that he endured, he attained to the highest measure of ascesis but fell into pride, being so deluded by the demons that he thought angels were conversing with him and ministering to his every need.”

In the 2nd century, in an area known as Phygria (present-day Turkey), a man named Montanus had been recently converted to the Christian faith. Asterius Urbanas, who wrote about the Monastist movement, described Montanus as a man with “excessive lust of his soul after taking the lead”. Montanus wanted to be the leader. In meetings, Montanus would become overwhelmed by some spiritual influence and he would prophesy. Eventually, he drew a number of people away from the churches in Phygria and they began calling themselves The New Prophecy movement.

“If somebody appears to have received the gift of healing or revelation, a hand is not laid on him, for the facts of the matter will reveal whether he has spoken the truth.” The Apostolic Tradition

The “facts of the matter” simply meant was the thing true, right or accurate. That prophetic ministry was alive and well in the first few hundred years of the church is not a question up for debate.