Thursday, August 22, 2019

James Bannerman on the Prophets of the New Testament Church Being Inspired Prophets, not Merely Teachers


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: