I read the Didache the other day because of something I read in a commentary. The Didache (or "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles") is an anonymous early church document which summarizes scripture and gives practical advice for how to live as a church. Opinions are very divided about when it was written (some details here), but the consensus seems to be that it was quite early - possibly as early as 100-120 AD. The instructions given are tremendously practical, even earthy. I actually laughed out when I read this passage:
5. But he [a traveling prophet or apostle] shall not remain except one day; but if there be need, also the next; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet. 6. And when the apostle goeth away, let him take nothing but bread until he lodgeth; but if he ask money, he is a false prophet. 7. And every prophet that speaketh in the Spirit ye shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven. 8. But not every one that speaketh in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he hold the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known. 9. And every prophet who ordereth a meal in the Spirit eateth not from it, except indeed he be a false prophet; 10. and every prophet who teacheth the truth, if he do not what he teacheth, is a false prophet. 11. And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself doeth, shall not be judged among you, for with God he hath his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets. But whoever saith in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, ye shall not listen to him; but if he saith to you to give for others’ sake who are in need, let no one judge him.
Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe, The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. VII : Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325, Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius, Apostolic Teaching and Constitutions, Homily and Liturgies., 380 (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 1997).
Note that while this is great common sense advice, it is actually not Biblical to say that a person is a false prophet just because they're greedy. True prophets may fall into sin through greed (1 Timothy 6:9-10). The Biblical test of whether a prophet is true or false is whether or not they confess Jesus as fully God and fully man (1 John 4:1-3), and whether their lives bear good fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). In the New Testament, the test is not whether or not they ever make predictions that don't come true (cf. Deut 18:22) - but that's a topic for another (longer) post...
2 comments:
Reading your May letter.... I hope asking for money doesn't necessarily make one a false prophet....
However, some TV evengelists, I think, have brought disgrace.... maybe there were that kind of evangelists in the first century, too!
Hahaha... touche!
What I meant is that if someone says, "Thus saith the LORD, 'Give my servant the prophet money!'" then you want to run away very fast.
And I think you're right that there have been some well-known televangelists that have pretty much done that.
But in general, there's nothing wrong with asking for money. Paul did it repeatedly in the New Testament (e.g. Rom 15:23-24, 2 Cor 1:16, and especially 2 Cor 8-9). The point is that he did not use spiritual manipulation or "prophecy" to extort money - he just asked and left it up to them whether or not they would give.
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