prophecy

Peter’s second sermon in Acts 3 is often overshadowed by the well-rehearsed first sermon in Acts 2. John Howard Yoder particularly bemoans this for the loss of Christological emphasis that ensues in diverse discussions concerning the prophetic stance of the church.[1] It is all the more surprising given Peter’s dependence on the Deuteronomic quote (Deut. 18:15) for the conclusive impact of his address (Acts 3:22), including the unabashed Mosaic comparison (hōs eme) that casts Jesus among the highest order of what Israelite tradition projects into the role of prophet. In fact, the post-resurrection Jesus[2] claims even greater allegiance as the one upon whom “the restoration of all things” revolves and upon whom soul-survival rests. Yoder contends that all succeeding ecclesial expressions of prophetic practice should similarly be Christologically determined.

In the context of the current renewal of missional theology the suggestion that the church is essentially ‘prophetic’ in its nature is contentious for a number of reasons. On the one hand, it is likely to raise concerns about the relationship between emerging theologies and the modern charismatic movement. So for example, prophecy has typically been understood by charismatics as an individualized gift of the Spirit rather than as an attribute of the church as a corporate entity; and for many the idea may carry uncomfortable memories of the trivialization of divine speech or of the abuse of authority. On the other hand, the prophetic has been associated in other traditions with forms of direct social-political critique and action that may be difficult to reconcile with evangelical notions of mission. The challenge, then, is to ground the notion of a ‘prophetic community’ in the biblical narrative in a way that moves us beyond the limiting charismatic model of prophetic speech without breaking the link with a core and sustainable definition of mission.

Who are the prophets in our churches today? Are we listening to them? Or are we killing them?

I want to share my article with you. This is about the link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues. The article is directly related to Spirituality. The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked.

The Post-eschatological charismatic thread has got rather long, so I have responded to a question posed by Virgil about prophecy and the parousia separately.

The preterist approach to prophecy as Virgil has described it seems to me too rigid and artificial. I would give precedence to the (historical) narrative and ask how this contextualizes prophecy. I think that much of what the authors of the New Testament say about the future has to do with the rather immediate circumstances of conflict in one form or another with Rome, and I would hesitate to make these particular prophecies work outside that relevant and realistic historical framework. But that is a contextual argument. It does not entail the absolute corrollary that prophecy ceases to operate altogether outside that historical framework.

The relationship of biblical prophecy to current events in the Middle East was raised by the discussion in another thread on Ezekiel 38-39. In wishing to pursue the subject, and in view of the pressing importance of Middle East politics - not just for the theology of the church but for its very survival and that of its message, I felt a separate discussion thread was needed.

I am currently working on a project about the historical David that will hopefully see publication some day. As a researcher, I am curious about everyone’s position on David and his place in the history of Israel and thereby the church’s history and future.