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Friday, June 22, 2018

NT prophecy

I'd like to briefly discuss two related issues:

1. Some charismatics (e.g. Grudem) contend that while OT prophecy is infallible, NT prophecy is fallible. But is that the distinction? With respect to visionary revelation, prophecy can be a three-stage process:

i) God inspires the seer by giving him revelatory dreams and visions.

ii) God inspires the seer to verbalize what he saw. 

iii) God inspires the seer to interpret what he saw. That's especially pertinent to allegorical dreams and visions.

(i) is something that OT and NT prophecy share in common. 

(ii) may be confined to OT prophets and NT apostles. 

(iii) Some revelatory dreams and visions include an inspired interpretation (e.g. Joseph, Daniel) while others are just a verbal record of what the seer experienced (e.g. Ezekiel, Zechariah, the Apocalypse). That's why ordinary readers as well as commentators puzzle over the meaning of apocalyptic books. 

2. The traditional inerrancy position affirms the plenary verbal inspiration of scripture. However, a critic might object that paradigm-cases of biblical inspiration are confined to the prophetic genre rather than historical narratives, &c. There are, however, examples of OT prophets who function as historians. So that's analogous to the Gospel writers: 

29 Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer (1 Chron 29:29).

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (2 Chron 9:29).

15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam (2 Chron 12:15).

22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo (2 Chron 13:22).

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote (2 Chron 26:22).

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel (2 Chron 32:32).

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