Who is a true or false prophet and what does he or she do? How does the Bible define a prophet?

A prophet is any person who serves as God's spokesman to the people. His/Her ';job'; can be put into two categories:





* Preaching -- a preaching prophet encourages, comforts, or reproves the people.


* Foretelling -- a foretelling prophet gives the people the word of God concerning the future





Source: www.biblebell.org/proph/prophecy1.html





Do you agree with this definition of the prophet of the Bible? I'm particularly interested in the opinion of Jehovah Witnesses since I'm studying their religion at the moment.





If you don't agree? Then, I'd like to know what it is that you would like to change in that definition %26amp; why?





What I come to conclude after reading this is that a ';false prophet'; doesn't necessarily need to be guided by the devil or being ill-willed when saying something that later turns out to be proven wrong. Nevertheless, if what he says in his role as the ';Preacher'; shows to be wrong he is then obviously not chosen by God and therefore not lead by him either.Who is a true or false prophet and what does he or she do? How does the Bible define a prophet?
I am muslim and I would like to add that a Prophet is chosen by God and a person by his own effort can't become Prophet.





A Prophet is infallible. Prophet may show some miracle by God's order.





Anybody who claim to be prophet after Prophet Mohammed PBUH is a false prophet.Who is a true or false prophet and what does he or she do? How does the Bible define a prophet?
I cant recall the bible definining prophet anywhere. I read it 4 times. Your are misleading people.





The bible is also not a dictionary, and this is why.
Biblically a prophet is someone who tells God's message to others.





So if you pick up the Bible and read it out loud to someone, you are a prophet.





Are you an inspired prophet? NO.





But you are fulfilling the basic meaning of the word prophet.





The last inspired prophet was the apostle John.





In ancient Israel a key to understanding a false 'inspired' prophey was two fold.





1) What he said, did it come true?





2) What he was saying was it leading people away from Jehovah and his principles.





Example: In the days of Jeremiah the false prophets were ineffect stating that Jehovah was not mad at them, that they were NOT doing anything wrong, and that Jehovah was not going to destroy Jerusalem.





Now let's fast forward to today:





We have false doctrine and telling people what is bad is good, and what is good is bad.





(Women ministers and gay ministers; Sex before marriage is okay. Organizations teaching these things are teaching falsehood.)





(Teaching pagan philosophy and not bible teaching is also wrong:





Historian Will Durant observed: “Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it. . . . From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity.” And in the book Egyptian Religion, Siegfried Morenz notes: “The trinity was a major preoccupation of Egyptian theologians . . . Three gods are combined and treated as a single being, addressed in the singular. In this way the spiritual force of Egyptian religion shows a direct link with Christian theology.”





Thus, in Alexandria, Egypt, churchmen of the late third and early fourth centuries, such as Athanasius, reflected this influence as they formulated ideas that led to the Trinity. Their own influence spread, so that Morenz considers “Alexandrian theology as the intermediary between the Egyptian religious heritage and Christianity.”





In the preface to Edward Gibbon’s History of Christianity, we read: “If Paganism was conquered by Christianity, it is equally true that Christianity was corrupted by Paganism. The pure Deism of the first Christians . . . was changed, by the Church of Rome, into the incomprehensible dogma of the trinity. Many of the pagan tenets, invented by the Egyptians and idealized by Plato, were retained as being worthy of belief.”





A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge notes that many say that the Trinity “is a corruption borrowed from the heathen religions, and ingrafted on the Christian faith.” And The Paganism in Our Christianity declares: “The origin of the [Trinity] is entirely pagan.”





That is why, in the Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, James Hastings wrote: “In Indian religion, e.g., we meet with the trinitarian group of Brahmā, Siva, and Viṣṇu; and in Egyptian religion with the trinitarian group of Osiris, Isis, and Horus . . . Nor is it only in historical religions that we find God viewed as a Trinity. One recalls in particular the Neo-Platonic view of the Supreme or Ultimate Reality,” which is “triadically represented.” )





But what about the one who finds out what he understood was wrong?





The apostles thought Jesus was setting up his kingdom, right after his death.





Christian Jews thought you still had to follow the Law and be circumised.





These faithful men accepted the change and went on serving God acceptably.





The apostle Peter had to be corrected because he was teaching partiality, yet he didn't stop being an apostle.





Meek and humble are the qualities God looks for in people.





Meek means teachable, humble means willing to put God and others ahead of self.





Are we willing to accept what the inspired Word of God says, or will we stick to the error and continue to preach it.





Give me an organization that admits it's mistakes over one that clings to tradition.





Give me an organization that bases all it's teachings on the bible, and not of pagan philosophy.





A humble and meek person or organization will accept the disciple God gives and correct their teachings.





This doesn't make them false, just human.





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YOU CAN ONLY TELL A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD IN THE NUDE!!!





A LOT OF PROPHETS OF GOD WERE PREACHING AROUND NAKED!


1 Samuel 19 24 He* (*King Saul) STRIPPED OFF HIS ROBES and also prophesied in Samuel's presence. HE LAY THAT WAY ALL THAT DAY AND NIGHT. This is why people say, ';Is Saul also among the prophets?';* (*at that time, all the prophets of God were going around naked! That’s how King Saul was recognized as another prophet of God! This is the “naked truth” in the Bible!)





KING DAVID DANCED BEFORE THE LORD WITH HIS GENITALS EXPOSED.


2 Samuel 6:14, 20-23 * David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might... [20] When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, ';HOW THE KING OF ISRAEL HAS DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF TODAY, DISROBING IN THE SIGHT OF THE SLAVE GIRLS OF HIS SERVANTS AS ANY VULGAR FELLOW WOULD!'; David said to Michal, ';IT WAS BEFORE THE LORD… I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by THESE SLAVE GIRLS YOU SPOKE OF, I WILL BE HELD IN HONOR.'; And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.





(Read the whole story in full context by yourself! The lesson in the Bible is that no wife can complain about any husband dancing naked exposing his genitals before some girls and the LORD! Or your husband is authorized to stop giving your share of sex until you die!)





HOW ABOUT GOING NAKED FOR THREE (3) YEARS AS A SIGN AND A WONDER UPON SOME ODDBALL FOREIGN COUNTRIES? – Hey, Christians got themselves a God that excels in refinements! This prophet prophesied the “virgin birth”.


Isaiah 20:2-3 (KJV) At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking NAKED and barefoot. And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked NAKED AND BAREFOOT THREE YEARS for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;





THE YOUNG PROPHET MICAH WOULD GET INTO A GODLY MOOD OF GOING NAKED AND DOING A STRANGE NUMBER ON HIMSELF!


Micah 1:8 Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and NAKED. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl.
The distinguishing feature of a true prophet is clearly explained in Matthew. If the fruits of their labors uplift and make individuals and society better, they are true prophets.





16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (King James Bible, Matthew)
the bible doesn't define a prophet. Jehovas witnesses have some interesting, some good, some bad, some absurd, and


some brilliant ideas.





Most ';false prophets'; are people who have a message that


they can't get people to listen to otherwise. They are sincere,


and believe they are trying to help others.





And yet, they spout garbage which was created to brainwash people....





anybody can become a prophet, if they have a direct relationship with god outside of the boundaries defined by anybody elses religion.
1Jo 4:1-3 ';BELOVED, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.


By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,


and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.';
A false prophet is simply this: A prophet who is NOT let by the Holy Spirit. The same applies to a false preacher.





It is impossible to lie or falsify the truth if the Spirit is within you and guiding you.





End of story.
Anyone after the Prophet Muhammed SAW is considered a guidance to whatever intention he or she sets forth.





The last one was The Comforter, it says it in your books.
Prophet means messenger of God. It does not necessary means he/she got to prophesy to qualify as one. He is the one whom God spoke THROUGH to people in a particular age. The reason why God chose this route was because people could not stand the very presence of God and demanded Moses to intercede on their behalf. Since then, whenever God has a message it will go through a prophet.





A prophet is usually born with such divine gift that is sensitive to the voice of God. It is a chosen class of people to convey His message to the people in different age. The examples are given to all prophets that are mentioned in the Bible. Nevertheless, he or she still need to repent like other sinners.





For instance, Noah was a prophet to his time to warn the people about the flood (the message), Moses was a prophet to bring Israel out, Isaiah, Ezekial etc are prophets to their alloted time.


A prophet is different from a preacher in that a preacher preach the gospel as in general, whereas prophet preaches but have SPECIFIC message to the people. They do not affiliate with any religious group and is answerable directly to God. For this reason, they are quite often being persecuted for saying things people do not like to hear. However, whatever the message is proclaimed, it must be according to the Word.





Prophet can also be classified into two groups. The major prophet in the sense that is sent to a nation or world. Another class of prophet is just a person that is given with a prophetic gift that is used only to edify his local church. He does not have any specific message to any larger group of people.





Now, what classify as a false prophet is if what they prophesied did not come to pass. The Bible clearly teaches that and I don't care how people twist and turn it or sugar coats it. A prophet under a false anointing can prophesy things that is wrong. In addition, if what he preaches that is in relation to his message is wrong (that is, not of the Word), or his life does not reflect it, then there may be something. BUT, this is where the problems lie. To decide whether it is according to the Word or not can be tainted by people's opinions and traditions. This was what blinded the religious leaders of the day when God was in flesh.





For this reason, the prophet message is sometimes accompanied by the signs from God or something to justify what the prophet says is true. Now I am not talking about secret signs from God that no one sees except the prophet himself. I am talking about public manifestation, or some sort of manifestation that others can testify of.





Genuine prophets therefore interpretes what the Bibles says, for God is the Author and therefore only Him has the right to inteprete His own Word. He interpretes by manifesting the Word. Outside of that people can at best make intellectual speculation on what the Bible says. And this often brings confusion. As in the days of Jesus, so it is now.





The only way to reveal His mysteries and clear things out is through a prophet (Amos. 3:8). But who will listen?
Just look for someone who errors in the scriptures, and leads people astray!
I am the true prophet %26amp; after me there will be no more
Lectio Divina means ';Divine Reading'; and refers specifically to a method of Scripture reading practiced by monastics since the beginning of the Church.





statio (position)





lectio (reading)





meditatio (meditation)





oratio (prayer)





contemplatio (contemplation)





collatio (discussion)





actio (action)





The classical practice of Lectio Divina--the prayerful reading of the Bible, the book Christians believe to be divinely inspired--is being rediscovered and renewed in our time. At the same time a number of ways of practicing it have sprung up leading to a certain confusion regarding its relationship to the distinct practice of Centering Prayer. A few distinctions may be helpful.





First of all, we need to distinguish Lectio Divina from Bible study, which is very useful at another time and provides a solid conceptual background for the practice of Lectio Divina.





Secondly, Lectio Divina is not the same as reading the scriptures for the purpose of private edification, encouragement, or getting acquainted with the many-sided aspects of revelation, and especially with Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God. Lectio Divina is rather a way or formula for furthering these objectives.





Thirdly, Lectio Divina is not the same as spiritual reading, which moves beyond the exclusive reading of sacred scripture to include other spiritual books such as the lives and writings of the saints.





Finally, Lectio Divina is not the same as praying the scriptures in common, a contemporary development that is sometimes identified with Lectio Divina. The classical practice of Lectio Divina was done in private and consisted in following the movement of the Holy Spirit in regard to the time one might devote to each step of the process, as well as passing from one step to another during the same period of prayer. Following a particular structure, such as is required in all forms of common prayer, tends to limit spontaneity to the movement of the Holy Spirit, which is the heart of the practice.





LECTIO DIVINA is an ancient spiritual art that is being rediscovered in our day. It is a way of allowing the Scriptures to become again what God intended that they should be - a means of uniting us to God. In lectio divina we discover our own underlying spiritual rhythm. We experience God in a gentle oscillation back and forth between spiritual activity and receptivity, in the movement from practice into contemplation and back again into spiritual practice.





LECTIO DIVINA teaches us about the God who truly loves us. In lectio divina we dare to believe that our loving God continues to embrace us today. In the word we experience ourselves as personally loved by God; as the recipients of a Word which God gives uniquely to each of us whenever we turn to the Scriptures.





FINALLY, lectio divina teaches us about ourselves. In lectio divina we discover that there is no place in our hearts, no interior corner or closet that cannot be opened and offered to God. God teaches us in lectio divina what it means to be a royal priesthood - a people called to consecrate all of our memories, our hopes and our dreams to Christ.