CLC

First of all, Mike has not shown anything that gives even the slightest clue to the separation of prophesy and preaching. Frankly, I wonder if the word “preaching” can even by found in the Bible. Is it unbiblical then?! No, I would propose that prophesy and preaching are one and the same, especially in the New Testament where God now speaks through the Holy Spirit to guide us, rather than coming down and directly speaking to us as he did to Deborah and Huldah in the Old Testament.

Now, in further breaking this down, is it possible for prophesy to ever not teach? I suppose one might say that the specific prophesies of God to specific people in the Bible, such as Huldah’s direct prophesy to King Josiah, is not necessarily “teaching” in it’s strictest sense of imparting knowledge to the student. But, then again, Huldah was imparting the knowledge of God’s words to Josiah and Deborah to Barak and the rest of the Israelite nation. But is it possible for one to proclaim God’s words without “teaching” per se? Yes, in a way, it is, though that line is severely blurred and barely exists. It is hard to say that the prophesy is not a teaching itself. However, once proven to line up with Scripture, the prophesy gains an authority that demands respect as it has proven to be the word of God.

A teacher, however, is not necessarily proclaiming the word of God. He might be merely teaching Bible history to children or teaching morals. The fact that Paul made separate distinctions between a prophet, who is surely proclaiming God’s word and whose gift is the greatest in Paul’s words, and a teacher proves that the teachers were probably teaching to others what had been taught to them through the prophets. It is unlikely that their teachings had as much authority as a proven genuine prophecy.

To put this in more plain terms, the prophet would be like Einstein finding a new law of physics or something. The teacher would be like school teachers who take that and impart that knowledge to the masses.

Which one would a complementarian covet more?
Making a distinction between teacher and prophet then claiming that teaching was greater than prophesy despite Paul’s words to the contrary.

Preaching, however, is the same as prophesy, period.

1 Corinthians 12:27-30
“27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts.”

Take note that, previously in the chapter, there was not a spiritual gift that seemed to be exclusive to apostles. Apostles also have the gift of prophesy. Take note that apostles are ones who spread the word of God to those who have never heard it. So that means that the prophesies of apostles were often held in higher regard by the new believers than the prophesies of these new prophets in the church.

So, therefore, Paul tells the reader to aspire to have the greater gift (or, depending on translations, he is saying that the Corinthians are too busy aspiring to obtain the greater gifts) which is the gifts given to apostles and prophets who are above teachers, though all gifts are essential and irreplaceable pieces of the body of Christ.

However, Mike makes it seem like just because technical teaching is separate from prophesy that it is somehow more authoritative. It is not. Since complementarians like titles and authority so much, it should tickle their funny bone to know that the only thing they can wrench from Scripture is that women are allowed to have the “more authoritative” gift of prophesy but not the “less authoritative” gift of teaching.

In all this furor over which gift the women should or shouldn’t suppress, let us not forget the teaching that followed the exhortation of gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:31b, 13:1-13:
“And now I will show you the most excellent way. 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Love is greatest of all and endures forever.