Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy approaches Bible teaching with a passion for getting the basic doctrines explained so that the individual can understand them and then apply them to circumstances in their life. These basic and important lessons are nestled in a framework of history and progression of revelation from the Bible so the whole of Scripture can be applied to your physical and spiritual life.
Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
NT Framework - Prophet? Not quite.
Are prophets the source of all knowledge and wisdom? In short, is everything they say infallible?
More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com
This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).
Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament Framework. Today a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.
Speaker 2:Let's apply this a little bit over to Jesus and the prophets. There's a difference between Jesus and the prophets and apostles, other people who wrote scripture. Right, there is a difference. We need to understand this. Here's the primary difference. Let's just put the difference out there.
Speaker 2:Jesus was infallible in everything he ever said and ever did, but prophets and apostles were not. They were only perfectly infallible when they wrote Scripture. Put it this way Was Paul an author of Scripture? Did David author Scripture? Did Moses author Scripture? Yeah, did these people write infallibly when they wrote Scripture?
Speaker 2:Yeah, now you're at a campfire, you, moses, david, paul. Could they make probable remarks around the campfire one evening? Sure, they're not writing Scripture. It's not thus saith the Lord, it's thus saith Moses, or thus saith David, or thus saith Paul. But Jesus, if you're standing around a campfire, could he have made errors? Could he have been foul? No see, do you see? There's a difference between Jesus and what's required on that level because of the nature of his person. We're back to his. He's impeccable. Impeccable Christ in hypostatic union. There's a difference when you're with him at the campfire. Impeccable, right, the impeccable Christ in hypostatic union. There's a difference when you're with him at the campfire. So let's look at this a little bit.
Speaker 2:If you read the scriptures carefully, you'll see over 3,800 times it says the word of the Lord or the word of God. In many cases the word of the Lord came to. For example, ezekiel 38.1,. The Word of the Lord came to, for example, ezekiel 38.1,. The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel. Micah 1.1,. The Word of the Lord came to Micah. There's a big question what is this Word of the Lord coming to them?
Speaker 2:I personally think in many of these references it's a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ coming to them. It Christ coming to them. It's not just like they heard a voice. Sometimes we might read well, the word of the Lord came to you. Oh, that means they heard a voice out of heaven. I guess that's possible, right, but I think it's more the idea that the pre-incarnate Christ came to them, not just a voice or a sound.
Speaker 2:Other ways that things happen were visions, right Dreams, so forth. So there's a number of ways that God has revealed himself in the Old Testament, but I point this out because you never, ever read of the word of the Lord coming to Jesus. You never, ever read that, and the reason is is because he is the word of God. So this points up another difference between him and the prophets. Remember Hebrews 1 1-3. Hebrews 1 1-3.
Speaker 2:This points out this very sharp difference between Him and the prophets who preceded Him. Hebrews 1, verse 1, god, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets, in many portions and in many ways, like the Word of the Lord, came to him visions, dreams and so forth, he says in these last days, has spoken to us in his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom he also made the world, and he is the radiance of his glory, the exact representation of his nature, and he upholds all things by the word of his power. That's a little bit different, see, a little bit different. They were infallible. The prophets were infallible whenever they wrote scripture, but Jesus was infallible all the time, and that's a difference. Jesus is the word of the Lord, john 1.14. The word became flesh, right and dwelt among us.
Speaker 2:Let's go to the test of a prophet, Deuteronomy 13. Let's go to Deuteronomy 13. I think I've taken you these before, but unfortunately people don't spend much time in the Old Testament anymore. We're New Testament Christians. So who needs the Old Testament? You might need it to understand the New Testament, since most of the New Testament is like presupposing. You already know the Old Testament.
Speaker 2:Deuteronomy 18, 18 and following gives one of the tests of a prophet. Here's what most people think the test of a prophet is If somebody predicts something and it comes true, they're a profit. Here's what most people think the test of a profit is. If somebody predicts something and it comes true, they're a profit. Has the weatherman ever predicted correctly? Yeah, does that make him a profit? No, have people predicted that? Oh, the stock market's going to go down on Tuesday? Sure, does that make him a profit? No, it has nothing to do with whether you get it right. You've guessed the future many times and you got it right. That didn't make you a profit. That's not the test. The test is not if someone says and then it happens, that makes them a profit. What is the test? It's a negative test.
Speaker 2:So let's read it, verse 18. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen, like you, that is, like Moses, that's predicting that, and I will put my words in his mouth. Now, that right there ought to tell you what a prophet is. Whose words are in the mouth of the prophet? The Lord's. It's not theirs. Whenever they're prophesying, it ain't their voice, it ain't their words, it's God's words, it's God's voice and he shall speak to them all that I command him so he becomes a conduit. Right, he's going to speak God's words to others verse 19.
Speaker 2:It shall come about that whoever will not listen to my words, which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require anything. In other words, is it serious? I mean, if somebody comes along and they're a prophet and let's say they really are speaking the word of god, is it kind of important for everybody who's listening to follow it? Yeah, like it's absolutely serious. If you don't, you're in big trouble, right, because that's God's word. It's not whoever the prophet is, not his words Now. But what if they don't speak the word of God? What if they're just a prophet of their own making, as we have maybe today, people who claim to be prophets Verse 20.
Speaker 2:But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name? Now, god knew this was going to happen. People are going to come along and say I'm a prophet, but here's one who speaks presumptuously. He says which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods. That prophet shall what Die, commanded him to speak, for which he speaks in the name of other gods. That prophet shall what Die. Did God consider this a serious offense? Did someone come along and say I have the word. I speak what God has told me. I am not telling you. If that's presumptuously done, that's a very serious matter. God considers it a capital crime. When I was back in seminary, one of my professors would say when that happened, you were about to have a rock concert. It's silly, verse 21,. You may say in your heart well, how will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?
Speaker 2:Of course that's what you're going to ask I mean, how do we know? How do we know if what he's saying is from the Lord or not? I mean, if you got called up to be a judge on the matter, I mean I don't know, is the guy really a prophet or not? I don't know. How are you going to know when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true? That is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. Now, at that point, what are you supposed to do with this guy? Kill him. So he makes a prediction and it doesn't happen. Now, if you're following God's word, you'd say well, the guy was a presumptuous prophet. He has to die. Now, if that's the case, how many times can a prophet be wrong? Zero, in other words, you have to be 100% accurate.
Speaker 1:Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app, and until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.