James
Bannerman (1807-1868), who himself was a cessationist and a proponent of Sola
Scriptura, wrote the following about prophets in the New Testament-era Church:
. . . the order of prophets in the New
Testament Church had the power of declaring the mind of God generally, and
without reference to the future, being
inspired to preach or proclaim Divine truth, as it was revealed to them in an extraordinary manner by the Spirit.
They were infallible interpreters of the Old Testament Scriptures and inspired preachers of Divine truth,
declaring the Word of God for the conversion of sinners and the profit of the
Church. The difference between the prophets and the ordinary pastors or teachers
of the early Church was, that the one was inspired
preachers of the Gospel, and the others were not inspired. The prophesying or preaching of the first
was the fruit of immediate extraordinary revelation at the moment; the
prophesying or preaching of the second was the fruit of their own unaided study
of the Old Testament Scriptures, and personal understanding of Divine truth.
That this was the case, is apparent from the instructions given by the Apostle
Paul in the fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians in regard to the use of the
supernatural gifts conferred on that Church. “Let the prophets speak two or
three and let the other judge. If anything be
revealed (αποκαλυφθη) to another
that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace” (1 Cor. xiv. 29f). The
prophesying or preaching of this order of office-bearers in the primitive
Church was identical with the “revelations”
given to certain of the early believers for the purpose of edifying the rest. (James
Bannerman, The Church of Christ: A
Treatise on The Nature, Powers, Ordinances, Discipline, and Government of The
Christian Church, 2 vols. [Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1960], 2:233)
Such is a
very good refutation, from a Protestant theologian, against the naïve misreading
of Heb 1:1-2 and other texts used to support the claim special revelation and
inspired prophets ceased at the ascension. For an exegesis of this text and
other passages, see:
