Sabbath School Lesson 4 Summary – New Testament Prophets | Q4 2026

Speaker A 00:00:01 - 00:01:06 Hello, I'm Clive Nash. Welcome to Let God Speak. In the previous episode of Let God Speak, we found that the Holy Spirit gave spiritual gifts to people in Old Testament times. We would expect that the same kinds of gifts would continue in the New Testament. This includes the gift of prophecy. Today we will discuss prophets in the New Testament. It may surprise you how extensive this gift was, Stay right by and we'll begin the discussion with our expert panel in a moment. Well, on our panel today we have Gayl Fong and Hello, I'm Rod Butler. Good to have you with us today. Hello. Looking forward to our discussion. It's an interesting topic, isn't it? The prophets in the New Testament times. Speaker B 00:01:06 - 00:01:07 Very interesting. Speaker A 00:01:07 - 00:01:48 But before we begin, let's take time to pray. Our dear Father in heaven, we just want to thank you for giving us the Bible. We thank you for the gift of prophecy that endured right throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament era. And we believe that you are still speaking through your messengers today. And so we pray that as the Holy Spirit guides our minds here on the panel and also those who are watching and viewing, we pray that you'll bless. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, my first question is to you, Gayl, and that is Old Testament prophets, they had a focus in mind, didn't they? Who were they ultimately pointing towards? Speaker C 00:01:48 - 00:02:48 Well, the plan of salvation runs through the entire Old Testament. And just reading in the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1, 2, and 3, and the Bible reads, God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So here the gift of prophecy by the Holy Spirit's guidance always pointed to Jesus, to Jesus Christ. Speaker A 00:02:48 - 00:03:04 Yeah, that's interesting, Rod, because here it's talking about He's spoken to us, you know, through the prophets in the Old Testament times, but now He's speaking to us most clearly through His Son. And so what better place to start with Jesus? Was He really a prophet? Speaker B 00:03:04 - 00:03:36 Yes, He was, and the Bible is clear of that. If we turn to the Old Testament and we read Deuteronomy 18:18, verse 15, I should say, It says, the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me. Unto him shall he be hearkened. Now this is Moses speaking and he's referring to people that there will be a prophet being raised up. Come across now to the New Testament. Speaker A 00:03:36 - 00:03:39 And pardon me, and that's Prophet with a capital P, I notice. Speaker B 00:03:39 - 00:03:40 Capital P, yes. Speaker A 00:03:40 - 00:03:43 Which is sort of like an indication of the divinity there, isn't it? Speaker B 00:03:43 - 00:04:42 Yes, yes. Come across now to Acts and we're going to read verse 26 of chapter 3. Now this is Peter speaking. He's quoted that verse and he says, Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you in turning away from every one of you from his iniquities. So Peter is referring to this prophet who's been sent from God. And then when you come back to John, And I'm going to read John chapter 6 and verse 14. Now this is right after the miracle of feeding the 5,000. And we have, then those men— and now those men are all the men who have eaten the food of the, the loaves and fishes. So these are the common people. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, this is of a truth that a prophet that should come into the world So this prophet is Jesus and this is on prophesied and here he is and the people recognize him as a prophet. Speaker A 00:04:42 - 00:04:54 Yeah, okay, so it's almost quoting from that passage in Deuteronomy there, isn't it? Yes. Yeah, this is the prophet. And Gayl, did Jesus portray himself as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies? Speaker C 00:04:54 - 00:06:01 Well, he made that clear when he met with 2 very discouraged disciples after his resurrection on that road to Emmaus. The Bible records in Luke 24:27, says, this is what Jesus did. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. So later when He met with the larger group of disciples, He added that the Psalms pointed to Him as well as we read in Luke 24:44-45. Then He said to them, these are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend The scriptures. Speaker A 00:06:01 - 00:06:05 That must have been quite a Bible study, wasn't it? Speaker C 00:06:05 - 00:06:06 Been amazing. Speaker A 00:06:06 - 00:06:46 Going through these Old Testament prophecies. John, the next gospel in my Bible, John 1:1-3 says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Referring here to Jesus as the Word. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. So, so here's John presenting Jesus as the Creator, really. And what amazing parallel do you see in the next verse here in John chapter 1, Rod? Speaker B 00:06:46 - 00:07:01 That's a really good parallel. Let me read it. This is verse 4, John 1:4. It says, in Him was life, and the life was the light of men. Now, why this is an interesting parallel is because Jesus was portrayed earlier in those verses as the Creator. Speaker A 00:07:01 - 00:07:02 Yeah. Speaker B 00:07:02 - 00:07:27 And as the Creator, he said, let there be light. He created light. And now he's coming to the world, he becomes the light. But he becomes the light, which is a metaphor basically for revelation of God to the people. So he becomes the light that dispels all the darkness that's taken over the minds of men. And yeah, He's the Creator. He's this marvelous light of men, which I think is a good parallel. Speaker A 00:07:27 - 00:07:46 Yeah, especially when you read about, it's suggested that He came into the world at a time where there was a lot of darkness, you know, in people's minds. Let's think about apostles and prophets. Gayl, who were apostles in the New Testament? Why did we, what does that word mean? Speaker C 00:07:46 - 00:08:52 Well, we define the word. An apostle was literally 1 cent or an emissary according to the HarperCollins Study Bible. And the 11 disciples plus the 12th chosen before the day of Pentecost to replace Judas, they were apostles. And so, but they were not the only ones who were sent to share the gospel as apostles. As we read in Romans chapter 1 and verses 1 and 2, the Bible reads, Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. So here Paul connects his ministry with preaching the gospel and with the Old Testament prophets. And he— Paul also wrote 12 times, which is amazing, that he was an apostle. Hmm. And his special ministry of course, was to convert the Gentiles. Speaker A 00:08:52 - 00:09:09 Yes, he was very dogmatic about this issue that he was an apostle, even though he wasn't amongst the original 12. It seems as though some people, Rod, disputed his right to be called an apostle, didn't they? What did he say about that? Speaker B 00:09:09 - 00:10:15 Well, Paul was absolutely definite, as Gayl said, that he was a prophet. He believed he was, sorry, an apostle. If we turn to Corinthians chapter 9, I'll read verses 1 and 2. You tell me if this is not positive language. He says, Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am in you, for the seal of mine apostleship ye are in the Lord. So here's Paul saying categorically, he is an apostle. And, you know, unlike the priests who were— got their role through a hereditary line, the apostles were those that had been with Jesus. And Paul, he had been with Jesus. He was dramatically confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Hmm. And then he went into the wilderness, if you recall, where Jesus taught him. So he claimed apostleship because he had been taught by Jesus and was converted by Jesus. Speaker A 00:10:15 - 00:10:25 Yes, he had a remarkable experience. Gayl, how do prophets and apostles fit into the work of the Christian church? Speaker C 00:10:25 - 00:11:30 Well, Paul is an example of that special relationship, and we could read in the scriptures in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 19 to 22, the Bible reads, Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. So Paul, he likens the church to a building with apostles and prophets as foundational, and they in turn are built on Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone. Speaker A 00:11:30 - 00:11:55 Hmm, yes, referred to in the Psalms, I think, as the cornerstone, the stone the builders rejected, Right. Is Jesus Christ. Now, Rod, we've had a dialogue about this next question, and I'm interested to hear what you have to say here. Were all the apostles also prophets, or all the prophets also apostles? Is there a distinction between them? Speaker B 00:11:55 - 00:14:37 Well, there is a distinction. The apostles, of course, were those disciples who'd been with Jesus, and they had special status. But let me read, following on Gayl reading chapter 2 from Ephesians. If I go to chapter 3, and I'm going to read 7 verses, so just bear with me. I'll start from verse 1 down to verse 7. Ephesians chapter 3. For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words, whereby when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. And verse 5, this is important, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. And then verse 6 and 7 is about that message, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. Wherefore I am made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. So they all have the message of Christ. They all preach the gospel. But there's prophets and apostles. All the apostles could be prophets because the apostles, they gave the message of the gospel, and prophets were people that didn't just tell the future. Mm-hmm. They taught, they gave learning to people and so forth. And that's what the apostles could do. So apostles could be prophets. But I wanna turn now to answer that question, could it be the other way? Could prophets be apostles? If we go to Acts chapter 15, I'm gonna read verse 32. Acts 15:32, and it says, And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words and confirmed them. Now who was Judas? Well, Judas was one of the disciples and he was what, the brother of James the disciple. And there's Silvanus, which was a great gospel worker as well. Judas was an apostle, but Silas or Silvanus was one of the prophets. So Silas couldn't be an apostle, but Jude could be a prophet. And so could they be either? Apostles could be prophets, yes, they could. But a prophet needed to have been with Jesus to be called an apostle. Speaker A 00:14:37 - 00:14:57 Yes, I well remember one of my theology lecturers saying a prophet was— could either be a forthteller or a foreteller. Speaking for God as a messenger for God, not necessarily telling the future. Just a little distinction there. So Gayl, how did the prophets in the New Testament function? Speaker C 00:14:57 - 00:16:48 Well, we have to understand that prophets did not necessarily tell the future. They had insights, instruction, and messages from God. And if we just read in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 14 and verse 3, the Bible says, but he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. So these are some examples of the different functions of a prophet. And so here a prophet did these 3 things: edify, exhort, and comfort. Then if I'm We go to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 12. The Bible reads, please. For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. So This is another function, the equipping of the saints, the work of ministry with that repetition on edifying the body of Christ. Of course, foretelling the future is also not overlooked. If we go to the last chapter of the Bible, Revelation, Revelation chapter 22 and verse 6, and the Bible reads, Then he said to me, These words are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants the things which must shortly take place. Speaker A 00:16:48 - 00:16:59 Thanks, Gayl. Rod, was it also a function of a prophet to bring encouragement or uplift to his people? Speaker B 00:16:59 - 00:17:41 Yes, it was, and the Bible says that. Going back to 1 Corinthians 14, which Gayl read earlier, she read verse 3. I'll read verse 31. It says, for ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn. So there's the ability of the prophet to be a teacher and to reveal the gospel. It also says, and all may be comforted. Now we all need comfort, and it was one of the roles of the prophets. was to be a comforter, to uplift, and there's nothing more uplifting than the gospel message. But also they were there to, I guess, encourage people when they were down, to help them with their spiritual walk and so forth. Speaker A 00:17:41 - 00:17:51 Gayl, was the gift of prophecy gender-specific by any chance? Were they all men? Speaker C 00:17:51 - 00:18:23 Well, if we read in the Bible in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 5, the Bible says, but every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. So we won't dwell on the cultural custom of covered heads, but it's clear that women prayed and prophesied In the church in Corinth. Speaker A 00:18:23 - 00:18:33 Okay, so that leads us into the subject of female prophets in the, the New Testament. What does the Bible teach on that subject, Rod? Speaker B 00:18:33 - 00:19:38 Well, there were women prophets in the New Testament. One that comes to mind straight away is Anna, who was a prophetess, and we pick up what she did in Luke chapter 2. And if I just read Luke chapter 2, verse 20— sorry, verses 36 and 37. And of course, this is at the time where baby Jesus was being taken to the temple. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with an husband 7 years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about fourscore and 4 years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. So here's a faithful dear lady who her ministry was at the temple fasting and praying for the work and the church. I guess in modern terms, she was a prayer warrior with her fasting and prayer. And God blessed her by being able to see the baby, the Christ. Speaker A 00:19:38 - 00:19:39 Hmm. Speaker B 00:19:40 - 00:19:42 So she was a prophet and she was a female in the New Testament. Speaker A 00:19:42 - 00:19:44 Any others, Gayl, that you can think of? Speaker C 00:19:44 - 00:21:05 Well, Philip the Evangelist had 4 daughters who all prophesied. And Philip, he was one of the 7 deacons that were ordained to the early Christian church in the book of Acts. And we read about this in Acts chapter 21 and verses 8 through to 10. The Bible says, on the next day, We who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea and entered the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the 7, and stayed with him. That's Paul who stayed with him. Now this man had 4 virgin daughters who prophesied. And as we stayed many days, certain prophet, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. So the interesting thing about these, most likely they were young ladies. We don't have any written record of their prophetic utterances. They didn't write a book of the Bible. So that's a point to bear in mind, that not all prophets actually write books of the Bible, or we don't know everything that they've said. But they were Called prophetesses. So not all prophets have a presence in writing in the sacred canon. Speaker A 00:21:05 - 00:21:29 Okay, I'm gonna move on to another aspect of our topic for today for discussion, and that is the development of young pastors. And that's essential for a vibrant Christian church in our day. Was that also the case in the New Testament, Rod? the development of young pastors, you know, to grow the church, to establish the church. Speaker B 00:21:29 - 00:21:47 Yeah, that was an important part, and there's 3 examples that come to mind when we talk about young pastors. If I start with, say, John Mark. Now John Mark was, he was the young man that abandoned Paul in his first missionary journey. Obviously got too hard, so he went back to Jerusalem. Speaker A 00:21:47 - 00:21:48 Yeah, might have been a bit immature. Speaker B 00:21:48 - 00:24:21 Yeah, and Paul wrote him off off. And there was a dispute between Barnabas and Paul later about John Mark. As we go through Paul's letters, though, we see that later Paul says how John Mark was a great blessing for him. So clearly John Mark had matured and he'd grown and he'd been encouraged in the ministry. That's the first one. The second one I'm thinking of is Timothy. Now, if you turn with me to the book of Timothy, 1 Timothy, there's a few things to bring out here. 1 Timothy 1:2 says, now this is Paul writing to Timothy. Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. So here's the great Apostle Paul. He's calling this young minister, you know, my own son. Yeah. He's considering himself as a spiritual father or mentor of Timothy. And we have to remind— remember that Timothy would've needed encouragement because it was hard work in those early days. And Timothy was a young person. So if we turn now to Timothy across the page and we look at chapter 4 and verse 12, Verse 12, chapter 4 and verse 12. And it says, let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. So here's Paul encouraging him also, you know, you're a young man, but don't worry about that. Mm-hmm. You know, no one should be having a go at you because of your age. So Paul took a special interest in Timothy as a mentor and spiritual father. And the last one I want to mention is Titus. So we just come across to Titus and I'll read verse— Titus chapter 1 and verse 4. And it's the same language. To Titus, my own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. So here he is again saying, You know, take him as a spiritual father to encourage him. And in 2:15, chapter 2:15 of Titus, it says, these things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. So he's saying, even though you're young, don't let people say anything to you because you're equal status as a minister. Speaker A 00:24:21 - 00:24:40 Yeah. So they were quite prominent leaders in the early Christian church. Gayl, so I guess we could sum up Well, we looked at so far and say there's a place for all in God's work, isn't there? Whether you're young, whether you're old, whether you're male or female. Have you got anything to say about false prophets in the New Testament? Speaker C 00:24:40 - 00:26:02 Well, yes, in Jesus' words himself, Matthew chapter 24, verse 23 and 24, then if anyone says to you, look, here is the Christ, or there, do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So not only false messiahs but also false prophets too. And we can see the deceptive power of signs and wonders. Even the elect could be deceived. And Paul warned of signs And lying wonders in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 9. And the Bible reads, the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders. So we see this. There is a little quote from writing, Ellen White, of a manuscript, 11. 1906. It says, these false prophets who claim to be taught of God will take beautiful scriptures that have been given to adorn the truth and will use them as a robe of righteousness to cover false and dangerous theories. Speaker A 00:26:02 - 00:26:07 And just quickly, Rod, were there— were false prophets a danger in Jesus' day? Speaker B 00:26:07 - 00:26:34 Yes, they were, and Jesus warned about them. Quickly, if I pick up Matthew 7:15-16, it says, beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? So here's Jesus saying that there will be false prophets, and how you'll know they're false prophets is by their lifestyle, by their fruits. Speaker A 00:26:34 - 00:27:54 Yeah, okay, well, thank you very much, Gayl, and And Rod. Gayl Fong and Rod Butler are my guests today and I'm Clive Nash. You know, there are 2 quotations from Ellen G. White, the Messenger of the Lord, illustrate the, the 2 foci of her writings and ministry. The first quote, our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness all depend upon our union with Christ. So Jesus Christ was her first focus. The second quote, I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice. So the Bible was her second focus. Both received equal emphasis in her writings, which she described as the lesser light leading to the greater light. It would be well if we lifted up Jesus Christ and His Word today, wouldn't you agree? We're glad you joined us today on Let God Speak. 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