The Chief Cornerstone

In the text last mentioned, Paul in various ways categorically numbers and classifies men and gifts and functions into five divisions. In the first he groups all the apostles; in the second the prophets; in the third the teachers; in the fourth miracles; but in the fifth he groups together gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Much may be said about the reasons for this grouping, but refraining for the present from doing that, we note that Paul hereby reveals the high esteem in which the gift of Prophecy was held by the early Church. He places prophets second only to apostles and before teachers and everyone else holding office in the Church, thereby showing not only their respective value, but also their true position.

We are also made aware of this by scriptures which tell us that the Church is 'built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone'. The grouping here is First: Jesus Christ, Second: apostles, Third: prophets, and shows that next to the Lord are the apostles and next to, though with the apostles, the prophets -- 'the apostles and prophets'. This is the mind of the Lord. Reading scripture, it becomes apparent that the prophet in his office was a person who could do, and often did, more than make prophetical utterances.

However, the importance of the gift of Prophecy over all others is indicated by the fact that the office did not take its name from any of the other gifts or ministries which the prophet may have or operate, but from this one. He may have healed people, but he was not called Healer. He may have given words of wisdom, but he did not take any name associated with wisdom, nor was he called by a name which had for its root or ground any other gift but this particular one, Prophecy. He was called a Prophet because he held the office and functioned in the ministry of a prophet administering the gift of Prophecy. In other words, as indicated by the name of the office, Prophecy was considered to be greater than any of the other gifts or any combination of those gifts.

Thinking of the great man Elijah, we take the point that although he performed miracles and spoke words of wisdom and had great knowledge, he was not spoken of as the healer, or the miracle-worker, or power-man, but as the prophet Elijah. On the other hand we discover that others who were not men of God accepted the title Magi, which name is the word for Wise-man. A man of God knows that the greatest gift he can receive from God is power to speak the word of God direct from God, so in order to be equipped for this he covets the gift of Prophecy, for it is exactly for this reason that the gift is given.