Mohamed Ghounem's
PROPHET OR DISCIPLE?
The following is an article written by Mohamed Ghounem and my response to his paper. Following this, I have inserted some email exchanges between the author and myself and some additional comments.
Prophet or disciple?
Dear Christians,
If Jesus is God, why were his disciples never called a *Prophet*?
Response:
Is it true that Jesus' disciples were never called Prophets? Well let us examine scriptures to see whether Jesus commissions prophets, which would be an implicit affirmation of the deity of Christ, and whether if indeed his followers were in fact called prophets:
"Therefore I am sending you PROPHETS and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town." Matthew 23:34
Question:
If Jesus were merely a prophet how could he send out others to become prophets and teachers, speaking on his behalf? In fact Jesus claims to do only what God can do. Compare the following passages:
"But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. FOR I WILL GIVE YOU WORDS AND WISDOM THAT NONE OF YOUR ADVERSARIES WILL BE ABLE TO RESIST OR CONTRADICT." Luke 21:14-15
This is precisely what God told Moses when the latter refused to go to Pharaoh due to his speech impediment:
"The LORD said to him, 'Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I WILL HELP YOU SPEAK AND WILL TEACH YOU WHAT TO SAY.' But Moses said, 'O Lord, please send someone else to do it.' Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, 'What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when sees you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I WILL HELP BOTH OF YOU SPEAK AND TEACH YOU WHAT TO DO.' " Exodus 4:11-15
Hence, for Jesus to both send prophets and give them wisdom and knowledge to confound their enemies implies that Christ is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. Seeing that these qualities are only true of God, this solidifies the case that Jesus is God. The New Testament also teaches that some of Jesus' followers were called prophets:
"Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul." Acts 11:25-30
We find prophets of Christ coming from Jerusalem to Antioch meeting with the congregation of Christian believers. We also find a certain prophet named Agabus predicting through the Spirit that a famine would hit Rome.
"The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage the brothers." Acts 15:30-32
"Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet and said, 'THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS, "In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles." ' When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, 'Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.'" Acts 21:8-13
"It was he (Jesus) who gave some to apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers…" Ephesians 4:11
These passages affirm that the disciples of Christ were in fact prophets since they did what only prophets can do: serving as mouthpieces for the Holy Spirit to speak through, as well as predicting future events.
Some Christians believe that Jesus is God, if this is so, when Jesus _directly_ spoke to his disciples, they should have been referred to as Prophets.
Response:
Who says that the disciples should have been referred to as prophets while Jesus was with them? Does Inspired Scripture state that this must be the case in order for Jesus to be viewed as God, or is this Ghounem’s fallible understanding?
Besides this fact, there is a very good reason why Jesus' followers were not called prophets while he was with them. Up until that time, they had not received the Holy Spirit of God:
"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." John 7:37-39
There can be no prophets without God's Holy Spirit, since it is the Spirit that enables men to prophesy:
"So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand at the Tent. The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied in the camp, but they did not do so again. However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses, 'Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.'" Numbers 11:24-27
"The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them (the prophets); and you will be changed into a different person… As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, 'What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?'" 1 Samuel 10:6, 9-12
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the works of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
Since the disciples did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them while Christ was on earth, they could not fulfill the role of a prophet. Once they received the Spirit they would be able to function as prophets:
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:16-17
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.'" John 16:13
It seems that out of the 13 (Jesus and his disciples) the only one that was called a Prophet is Jesus himself:
"Nevertheless I (Jesus) must walk to day, and to morrow, and the [day] following: for it cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem." Luke 13:33
"And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A Prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house." Matthew 13:57 also in Mark 6:4, Luke 4:24, John 4:43
Jesus refers to himself as a Prophet, Others also called Jesus a Prophet but Never called his disciples "A group of Prophets" Jesus was called a Prophet by others:
"And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet." Matthew 14:5
"And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." Matthew 21:11
"But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet." Matthew 21:46
"And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:" Luke 24:19
"The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet." John 4:19
"Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." John 6:14
"Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet." John 7:40
Response:
Thank you for demonstrating the fact that Jesus is called a prophet in the Holy Bible! Seeing that the consensus of Orthodox Christians believes that he was a prophet, you have proven absolutely nothing besides the fact that you are good at attacking a straw man. The Holy Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was a prophet, as well as a king and priest. Yet, the scriptures also teach that he was more than just a human prophet, priest and king, a fact you willfully choose to ignore and desperately try to hide from your readers.
Now the Greek word for Prophet is: prophetes ( profetev ) {prof-ay'-tace} which means "one who, moved by the Spirit of God and hence his organ or spokesman"
Response:
Ghounems's lexical source proves that the disciples were prophets since they claimed to be speaking by the Spirit:
"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Matthew 10:19-20 (cf. Luke 12:11-12)
"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." 1 Corinthians 2:13
The disciples on the other hand in Greek, are called; "apostolos ( apostolov ) {ap-os'-tol-os} which means "a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders"
Response:
If calling the disciples "apostles" implies that they cannot be prophets, then Jesus cannot be a prophet since he is also called an apostle:
"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the APOSTLE and high priest whom we confess." Hebrews 3:1
In conclusion, we see the difference in the way Jesus was addressed compared to the manner that his disciples were addressed. This is further proof that Jesus was indeed a Prophet, and not God.
Response:
Actually, we've discovered the very opposite of Ghounem's assumption. We've discovered that Jesus does what only God can do, equip, empower and commission men to be prophets on his behalf. We've also discovered that the disciples do what only prophets can do, predict future events by the agency of the Spirit. This is further proof that Jesus is not only a prophet, but God as well.
END
Ghounem wasn't finished. Here is his email response regarding my initial response.
Dear Sam,
Try to listen to yourself before you write to me. If you realize that you absolutely make no sense, then save your time and my time by not sending such wild fetched erroneous claims;
>My citation of John 7:37-39 was used to show that they could not be speaking in the capacity of prophet since they did not have the Spirit indwelling yet, seeing that his advent was still in the future. I did not try to use John 7:37-39 to prove that all who receive the Spirit are prophets, rather, the disciples could not speak prophetically while Jesus was with them<
This is absurd and according to your bent logic, you discredit every OT Prophet as being a true Prophet since God was with them;
Ge 5:22
"And Enoch walked with God"
Ge 6:9
"These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."
Ge 17:1
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect."
Le 26:12
"And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people." etc...
So from David to Abraham were not Prophets because according to you 'the disciples could not speak prophetically while Jesus was with them', or you are simply wrong .
Response:
Ghounem either misses the point, or simply doesn't want to get the point. At no time do the verses cited by Ghounem indicate that the Holy Spirit was not indwelling Enoch, Abraham, David etc. In fact, we find evidence to the contrary, since these men clearly had the Spirit empowering them. The quotations cited previously from Numbers 11:24-27 and I Samuel 10:6, 9-12 clearly affirms that men like Moses, the elders, Joshua, Saul and other prophets all had the Holy Spirit empowering them to both proclaim God's message and predict future events.
David alludes to this fact by asking God not to take away the Holy Spirit from him, implying that he had the Spirit with him:
"Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me." Psalms 51:11
And,
"So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah." 1 Samuel 16:13
Yet, in the case of the disciples the Holy Spirit had not been given since he had come to rest upon Christ and remained with the latter throughout his entire earthly ministry:
"When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" Luke 3:21-22
After his ascension, the Lord Jesus poured out the promise of the Holy Spirit upon his followers. Until then, the disciples could not function as prophets. (Cf. Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8, 2:1-33)
>since he had not arrived in the capacity Christ said he would in proclaiming things yet future in John 16:13.
Are you saying Jesus was not yet God? When then was Jesus God? And if he was God all along, why were the disciples never called Prophets?
Response:
Where do you find anywhere in my statements that I even imply Jesus was not God while on earth? This indicates that Ghounem does not want to get the point. To reiterate the biblical position on Christ, Jesus is one divine Person who took on a human nature by becoming man in order to fulfill the plan of salvation. After the resurrection Christ continues to exist as the God-man, since he still retained his human nature upon rising from the dead. Furthermore, when becoming man Christ became a servant that he might fulfill the will of his Father, which entailed Christ's total subjection to the Father and his obedience to the point of dying on the cross. (cf. Philippians 2:5-8)
Finally, to reiterate, the reason why they were not called prophets is because they had not been immersed in the Holy Spirit's power and hence, could not speak prophetically.
END
Ghounem didn’t stop, but had more to say:
again
>But how can a prophet send prophets? Please answer that and don't squirm your way out.
I now notice that you are consistently not reading the answers or the questions and simply continuing with your own train of thought and trying to impose it on me without even realizing that I already gave you the answer to this simple question; how can a prophet send a prophet? The same way Moses did,
"Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have made you "like" God (Elohim ) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet." Exodus 7:1
Peace
Response:
This verse does not say that Moses commissioned prophets, but rather it was GOD who commissioned Aaron to be a prophet and speak on Moses' behalf since the latter had a speech impediment and was afraid to face Pharaoh directly. Furthermore, Moses' having a prophet to speak on his behalf was only true during his lifetime. This was not the case after Moses' death since we never read elsewhere in Scripture anyone prophesying in Moses' name. Nor do we find Moses giving others the Holy Spirit. In fact, Moses could only hope that all his people were prophets. Upon hearing that Eldad and Medad were prophesying, we are told:
"Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, 'Moses, my Lord, stop them.' But Moses replied, 'Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them.'" Numbers 11:28-29
What Moses wished for, Jesus actually did since the latter both commissioned prophets and gave the Holy Spirit to whomever he was pleased to give it:
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him… Then John gave this testimony: ' I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God..'" John 1:29, 32-34
"I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49
"On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John's baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" Acts 1:4-5, 8
No matter from what angle we look at it, the New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus is God since he does only what God can do, and which no prophet could ever do.
END
The following section was so badly edited by Ghounem in what seems to be an obvious attempt to make him look good that I have decided to respond to it nonetheless:
Hi Sam,
If I knew the answer, then I would not have asked.
Response:
Yet when an answer is given to you, instead of accepting it you choose to ignore it and twist other biblical passages in order to arrive at your conclusions.
>The answer is simple, really.
>The Spirit
>had not yet been given to them (John 7:37-39).
Let's have a closer look;
7:37 "On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, "Whoever is thirsty should come to me, and"
7:38 whoever believes in me should drink. As the scripture says, "Streams of life-giving water will pour out from his side.' "
7:39 Jesus said this about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were going to receive. At that time the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not been raised to glory.
You are not fully focusing on the Issue.
Response:
In actuality you must chase a straw man in order to cover up your inability to respond to the real issues that I have brought up. But that’s to be expected.
"Why weren't Jesus' disciples called Prophets while Only Jesus was Called a Prophet.
Your response offers nothing except more Proof to support my views because;
1. If we look at the Very next verse which you conveniently left out, we see the ((Crowd)) Jesus was speaking to state;
7:40 " Some of the people in the crowd heard him say this and said, "This man is really the Prophet!"
you included verse 7:39 but left out 7:40 because you knew it would disprove your entire claim, this selective verse picking of yours is not the bases of sincere dialog and mutual understanding, and is the furthest thing from trying to answer my questions, just the opposite, you are leading me to verses which support them.
Response:
The reason why I chose to stop at 7:39 should have been obvious to you. If it isn’t, here it is so that even you can understand. The subject was on the reason why the Apostles were not called prophets while Jesus was on earth, namely because the Holy Spirit had not been poured out upon them. That is why I chose to stop at 7:39, since it affirmed this particular point I was making. But I understand why you would choose to throw out red herrings since it is easier to refute your opponent when you change the subject and attack a straw man.
Furthermore, we will shortly see how you have chosen to twist passages out of their context in order to arrive at your conclusions.
2. Jesus was not speaking to or about his disciples in these revealing verses, his disciples are the Topic, instead Jesus was addressing a crowd which support my view in stating he was a Prophet.
Response:
Nor did I say that this passage was SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING ABOUT HIS DISCIPLES, SO YOUR STRAW MAN ARGUMENT DOESN’T HELP YOU HERE. Rather, I used this verse TO DEMONSTRATE THE FACT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN TO BELIEVERS SINCE JESUS HAD NOT YET BEEN GLORIFIED. It seems you are very good at twisting words and attacking a straw man. Yet, please deal with the real issues that I have brought up, not the ones you have imagined in your own mind.
3. Although some of the crowd called him a Prophet, the other half of the crowd Discredited Jesus all together in some more verses you left out;
7:41 Others said, "He is the Messiah!" But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee!"
7:42 The scripture says that the Messiah will be a descendant of King David and will be born in Bethlehem, the town where David lived."
7:43 "So there was a division in the crowd because of Jesus."
Now we see your intentions to hide the Truth that half the people he spoke to at this meeting believed he was a Prophet and the other half based on Scripture, discredited him as a Prophet, and No One believed he was God.
Response:
The fact that you would use these men as proof is an indication of how shallow your arguments really are. First, it seems that you failed to read carefully since the crowds argued over whether if Jesus was a prophet or the Messiah. Hence, according to the crowds Jesus was either a prophet or the Messiah, but they did not see him as being both a prophet and the Messiah at the same time.
Since you cite them as an authority, which do you believe? That Jesus was a prophet or was he the Messiah? If you believe he was both then you are indirectly acknowledging that the crowds are not a reliable source of information since they did not know their scripture enough to realize that Messiah was also the prophet to come.
Secondly, the fact that they were not that knowledgeable in the scriptures is clear from their statement that Messiah could not come from Galilee. Yet, the prophet Isaiah actually predicted that God would honor Galilee of the Gentiles by sending the Messiah to shine upon them:
"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan- The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned… For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father (abi ad), The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. " Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7
That this passage is clearly Messianic in nature can be gleaned from the following Jewish source:
"For to us a Son is born, to us a Son is given; and His name is called from of old, Wonderful, Counselor, Eloha (God, Arabic- Allah), The Mighty, Abiding to Eternity, THE MESSIAH, because peace shall be multiplied on us in His days." Targum Jonathan
Hence, the crowds were wrong since Messiah would come from Bethlehem and also shine upon Galilee with the glory of the knowledge of God. So both you and your source are wrong.
Thirdly, you conveniently choose only those citations that agree with you, but neglect the rest that clearly present Jesus as more than a human agent. I wonder who is actually hiding the Truth and being deceptive.
These are people in Jesus' day who made these up front and close observations.
Response:
People who, much like you, were not certain what to make of him but chose to believe only what they wanted. Do quote the writers of Scripture as well as Jesus and his disciples in order to get an accurate portrait of who Jesus was and claimed to be.
Unlike you basing your reference on translations of translations, they based their statements on Jesus himself.
Response:
Gee, that’s funny since all of your arguments have been based on these "translations of translations." In fact, don’t you even allude to these "translations of translations" to prove that your false prophet was predicted in the Holy Bible? Hmm, being hypocritical are we?
In conclusion, thank you for providing me with quotes that even potentially discredit Jesus' prophet hood and for sure re-confirm he was only a Prophet.
The pleasure is mine really, since I enjoy exposing your shallow argumentation.
And once again I will ask you to answer why his disciples were NOT called a Prophet as he was, could it be because they were not from Bethlehem?
Response:
Attacking a straw man, aren't we? Where did I, or anyone else for that matter, say that the disciples had to be from Bethlehem in order to qualify as prophets? Furthermore, which part of my answers did you not understand? If you have failed to grasp my points, simply reread my previous responses.
>I thought it
>was apparent that my citing John 16:13 where it states that when the
>Spirit arrives the disciples would be empowered to recall all things
>as well as being taught things yet to come
how can you assume this made them Prophets if after Jesus left the tomb, (((they were still only called disciples))) ???
Mt 27:64 "Give orders, then, for his tomb to be carefully guarded until the third day, so that his disciples..."
Mt 28:7 "Go quickly now, and tell his disciples, "He has been raised from death, and now he is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see him!' Remember what I have told you."
Mt 28:8 "So they left the tomb in a hurry, afraid and yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples."
Mt 28:13 "and said, "You are to say that his disciples..."
Mt 28:16 "The eleven disciples went to the hill in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go."
Therefore Jesus according to the Bible died and rose and they were Still called =disciples=, so what ever spirit you claimed would make them-Prophets- like Jesus was, was not recorded by the scribes.
Do you know more than the scribes do? If not, then don't pretend to.
Response:
Amazingly, you ask me if whether I know more than the scribes, yet you proceed to twist their writings. In every one of those citations where Jesus’ followers are called disciples it is referring to the period before the Holy Spirit came down upon them. Perhaps you did not know or conveniently forgot that the Holy Spirit only descended upon the believers on the day of Pentecost, nearly fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension:
"In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.' Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city." Acts 1:1-12
"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:1-4
Secondly, who said that Jesus’ followers could not be called disciples while at the same time functioning as prophets?
Thirdly, the important point is not whether the disciples were given the title "prophet" (which we have seen that some were specifically given this title), but whether if indeed they did what prophets were expected to do. Here is the very lexical source you used to define what a prophet is and does:
Now the Greek word for Prophet is: prophetes ( profetev ) {prof-ay'-tace} which means "one who, moved by the Spirit of God and hence his organ or spokesman"
The very lexical source you use proves that the disciples were prophets since they spoke by the Spirit of God, acting as his mouthpiece:
"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Matthew 10:19-20 (cf. Luke 12:11-12)
"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." 1 Corinthians 2:13
Hopefully, this will clear things up for you and prevent you from twisting the scriptures, as is seemingly your habit.
You can find Jesus as well as other Prophets mentioning the word "Prophet" for example;
Exodus 7:1.
"Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have made you "like" God (Elohim ) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet."
Now Moses's disciple is called a Prophet, WHERE are Jesus's disciples called Prophets WHILE with Jesus ?
Peace
Response:
I guess I need to repeat myself. Which part of my response did you not understand? The part where the Holy Spirit had been given to the disciples only after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, and therefore could not be speaking in the capacity of a prophet until then? The part where Aaron, unlike the disciples, was given prophetic status along with Moses seeing that he was appointed to lead Israel along with his brother?:
"I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam." Micah 6:4
In fact, even Miriam is called a prophetess:
"Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing." Exodus 15:20
Hopefully, this time Ghounem will get it.
In the Lord Jesus' service forever.
Sam
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