… in keeping with the prophecies once made about you …
Summary: Paul’s reference to the “prophecies once made about you” leads us to wonder what they might have been and how they came about.
To understand what Paul is saying in this passage, we really need to talk about personal prophecies.
In Old Testament times, prophets were people who were selected by God to speak to the people of Israel. Some of the big names included:
- Moses — Deuteronomy 34:10, Numbers 12:6–8
- Aaron — Exodus 7:1
- Miriam — Exodus 15:20
- Deborah — Judges 4:4
- Samuel — 1 Samuel 3:20, Acts 3:24
- Nathan — 2 Samuel 7:2, 1 Kings 1:8
- Elijah — 1 Kings 18:36, 2 Kings 1:8
- Elisha — 2 Kings 3:11, 2 Kings 5:8
While there were sometimes hundreds of false prophets (1 Kings 22:6) the Lord would choose one person to speak for him at a time. When the prophet spoke, whether to one person or many, it was generally about something that affected the whole of Israel.
After Jesus lived, died, rose, and went up to heaven, something very important changed. The prophet Joel, speaking for God, says:
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28-29)
Jesus speaks to this directly when he says:
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes about the “manifestations of the Spirit” and how they are given for the “common good.” Then Paul describes what these look like. Some he calls a “message of wisdom,” while others are a “message of knowledge.” He also explains that one of the manifestations of the Spirit is “prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
Before Jesus, God used Israel as a “light for the Gentiles” (Isaiah 49:6). After Jesus fulfilled the law (Romans 13:8), God changed tactics. He pours out his Spirit on “all people.” First to convict (John 16:8), and then for those who acknowledge Jesus as Lord, to “teach you all things” (John 14:26).
It would appear that “all things” includes the prophecies made about Timothy.
Application: Learn to listen to the Holy Spirit’s teaching.
Food for Thought: Where would Christianity be without the Holy Spirit?
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Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:18b – Personal Prophecies”
