Spiritual Gifts, Part 3

The gift of prophecy is one of the most unusual spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. It has been dismissed, over-emphasized, and abused throughout church history. In a sermon on Romans 12:6 titled “Spiritual Gifts (3),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones illustrates both the dismissal and abuse of this teaching in the church. He does not just give a history lesson on the misuse of the gift of prophecy; he expounds the biblical teaching on it. Walking carefully through each interpretation, he explains various understandings of the apostle Paul’s teaching on prophecy and faith. In the end, Dr. Lloyd-Jones sides with the teaching that says Paul is calling the church to prophesy in proportion to the faith – the objective body of doctrine. He makes a strong and compelling case for the importance of systematic theology in the Christian life. Furthermore, by outlining general principles for discerning prophetic utterances, he assists Christians in applying biblical teaching on testing the spirits. The Holy Spirit will always be consistent with what He has given in Scripture. Finally, Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes the mysterious nature of the Scripture’s teaching on the topic of miraculous gifts. The Spirit is always sovereign of the gift, yet according to Scripture, the Christian can quench the Spirit.