# The Fallible Prophets of New Calvinism ![rw-book-cover](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Gl8opOgBL._SL200_.jpg) ## Metadata - Author: [[Michael John Beasley]] - Full Title: The Fallible Prophets of New Calvinism - Category: #books ## Highlights - The gifts and provisions that Christ has sacrificially given to the church for her maturation should be cherished, not ignored; appreciated, but not worshipped.[2] ([Location 83](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=83)) - a soul that is not centrally focused on Christ and His kingdom is a soul that is fully deceived: ([Location 122](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=122)) - Above everything else, Christ and His eternal kingdom must be the ultimate wellspring of our joy, and the spiritual gifts that He gives must take their proper place lest we enter into the realm of self-deception and self-exaltation. ([Location 131](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=131)) - Without the Spirit; without the Son; without the Father – I would be nothing. ([Location 151](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=151)) - Very simply, many continuationists believe that the prophetic gifts, given to the early church, are continuing in the present day and that among them…   “… there are those who hold that these gifts are fallible in their exercise and have an authority lower than that of the Old Testament canonical prophets and the New Testament apostles.”[12] ([Location 165](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=165)) - What is so striking about this view is that its advocates insist that the New Testament prophet is both fallible and legitimate at the same time. Thus, when such a “prophet” speaks, an admixture of truth and error is delivered to the church, yet despite this, such a prophet is not regarded as false. ([Location 174](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=174)) - ●         The concepts presented within fallible prophecy do more than merely shift the meaning of prophecy from the standard of Old Testament revelation – they completely reverse the meaning of prophecy altogether. Within the system of fallible prophecy the modern prophet is not seen as infallible, but is now considered to be fallible. The lexical argument for this conclusion comes from the most extreme uses of the secular Greek language along with other extrabiblical sources. Thus, the advocates of fallible prophecy are arguing that the 1st century readers of the NT would automatically see the word prophecy as having diametrically opposed meanings when referring to Old Testament prophecy (infallible) versus New Testament prophecy (fallible). By retooling the meaning and definition of such a central word as prophecy, the doctrine of fallible prophecy creates a host of doctrinal problems and points of confusion within the church, raising questions about the nature of the God who promises that His revealed word will not return to Him empty without accomplishing what He desires (Isaiah 55:11). ([Location 181](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=181)) - ●         By restructuring the ancient definition of prophecy, the doctrine of fallible prophecy effectively re-labels what the Scriptures define as a false prophet. This dangerously opens the door of the church to “enthusiasts or deceivers.”[14] ([Location 198](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=198)) - It is my contention that the redefinitions supplied by the doctrine of fallible prophecy nearly eradicate such prescribed tests, thus exposing the body of Christ to innumerable temptations and dangers. ([Location 204](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=204)) - Apart from a clear contradiction to Scripture, personal prophecies have little objective criteria by which they can be measured, leaving the hearer with a great potential for confusion and uncertainty. ([Location 211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=211)) - Thus, believers who are prophetically exhorted to make significant choices are left with the task of discerning if it is the Holy Spirit, or the “fallible prophet,” who has spoken to them. In view of this, there is a great potential for doubt and uncertainty among those who desire to obey God under the guidance of fallible prophecy. ([Location 216](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=216)) - Within the doctrine of fallible prophecy, Agabus is traditionally utilized as the central example of a NT fallible prophet (Acts 21:10-11). ([Location 221](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=221)) - From the standard of Scripture, it was no small thing for a person to claim to be a prophet of God. The Bible explicitly affirms only two classes of prophets: true prophets and false prophets. In the Old Testament, the penalty of death fell upon those who falsely claimed such a gift and office. However, according to the doctrine of fallible prophecy, neither grave error nor immaturity should serve as a barrier to the exercise of such a gift by nearly everyone[16] within the local church. ([Location 228](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=228)) - In the New Testament we see repeated lessons on the supremacy of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant, yet how does a degraded form of prophecy (fallible New Testament prophecy) demonstrate such supremacy? ([Location 237](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=237)) - As we look at the subject of fallible prophecy, our main analysis will be directed towards the writings of Wayne Grudem. The reason for this is that the volume of Grudem’s writings on this subject far outweighs that of any other within the realm of continuationist authors such as Jack Deere, D.A. Carson, and John Piper. The specific works of Grudem that will receive central attention are his Systematic Theology (Zondervan Publishing House, 1994) and his book, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today (Crossway Books, 2000). ([Location 242](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00G7IVP6C&location=242))