Modern Day Prophets

There have been discussions around here of late that went something like this: "If God ordered you to do something that I consider horrendous, would you do it?" The question is usually offered a little differently. Is the one telling me to do it a representative of God, or do I hear God's voice, or ... well, how do you know?

I'm reading these days in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. It is interesting to me the manner in which Paul addresses these saints. He doesn't address them just as their friend. He doesn't address them only as their pastor. He addresses them as their representative from God. In his first epistle he defends his Apostleship. In the second, he says, "I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works" (2 Cor 12:11-12). Paul doesn't have the slightest problem representing himself as a direct, special messenger from God.

I don't think we have these anymore. Paul references himself as "last of all" the Apostles (1 Cor 15:8). The role of Apostle/prophet in this case had specific qualifications which included being eyewitnesses to Christ and His resurrection. The Bible says that the Church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone" (Eph 2:20). If there are more apostles and prophets (of this type), then the foundation is continuing to be laid. (Makes no sense.)

I believe there are still "apostles" and "prophets", but not of the category of Samuel or Moses or Paul. There are still messengers ("apostles") who speak truly to us about God's Word and still those who rightly express God's Word ("prophets"), but nothing at all in the category of those Old Testament prophets. The last prophet of that category was Christ. Now we have the Word of God to know what God says.

So I don't think we have anything that approximates what Paul or Peter or Moses was -- a mouthpiece for God. We have the Word, sure. And it is sufficient, I have no doubt. But I don't think we have anymore spokespersons for God who can say, apart from Scripture, "thus saith the Lord" and be a genuine representative of God. To me, then, the question is moot. "If God ordered ..." is then, not now.