Was Jesus a prophet?

[Khatru]

The Muslims say he was but what is the Christian consensus (if it's possible to reach one) on this?

Can Jesus be the son of God as well as a prophet?  I do believe there is a scripture which indirectly states that Jesus is the last prophet.

The reason I ask is that a number of American preachers have claimed to have prophesied Donald Trump as God's man in the White House.  This made me wonder that if Jesus was a prophet then what is God doing sending inferior prophets after having sent his son?

[bluehillside Retd.]

Khatru,

The Muslims say he was but what is the Christian consensus (if it's possible to reach one) on this?

Can Jesus be the son of God as well as a prophet?  I do believe there is a scripture which indirectly states that Jesus is the last prophet.

The reason I ask is that a number of American preachers have claimed to have prophesied Donald Trump as God's man in the White House.  This made me wonder that if Jesus was a prophet then what is God doing sending inferior prophets after having sent his son?

If by “prophet” you mean someone who claims to have been in touch with a deity, there are plenty. If on the other hand you mean someone who can predict the future, there are no cogent reasons to think there have been any.

[floo]

I don't believe Jesus was anymore than a human with charisma, which is why he attracted some followers.

[Khatru]

Khatru,

If by “prophet” you mean someone who claims to have been in touch with a deity, there are plenty. If on the other hand you mean someone who can predict the future, there are no cogent reasons to think there have been any.

Taking into account the biblical definition of prophet, I was looking for a Christian view on this.

[Khatru]

I don't believe Jesus was anymore than a human with charisma, which is why he attracted some followers.

I'm pretty confident Jesus existed but without all the magic stuff.

[floo]

I'm pretty confident Jesus existed but without all the magic stuff.

Same here.

Less than credible claims have been made for modern day religious people who attract a following.  For instance, that shyster Benny Hinn's healing ministry has supposedly resulted in amputated limbs growing back!

Some years ago my brother-in-law and his wife, who are 'born again' Christians, went to see Benny Hinn in action. They said he could certainly put on a good show, but they didn't believe him to be a genuine healer, it was like watching a skilled magician doing his stuff.

[ippy]

I'm pretty confident Jesus existed but without all the magic stuff.

Yes it's highly possible Jesus did exist and was one of those Gandi/Mandella type persons we are lucky to have from time to time and in the same way as you say but there's nothing magicl about them.

ippy

[Robbie]

Neither Ghandi nor Nelson Mandela, though both heroic, were prophets. They had no pretensions.

[SusanDoris]

Neither Ghandi nor Nelson Mandela, though both heroic, were prophets. They had no pretensions.

What is your definition of a prophet? I ask because the future does not exist so that if anyone announces that such and such an event will happen, they will either be right or wrong entirely by chance, and that is only with hindsight.

[floo]

Neither Ghandi nor Nelson Mandela, though both heroic, were prophets. They had no pretensions.

So are you saying Jesus had pretensions?

[ippy]

Neither Ghandi nor Nelson Mandela, though both heroic, were prophets. They had no pretensions.

They, Ghandi and Mandela, were exceptionally good people in much the same way I'm sure this Jesus person alluded to would have been and I very much doubt if the said Jesus was anything more than that, if he did ever exist.

Prophet, another one of those potty theistic words that unfortunately manage to get themselves incorporated into our language and no Gandhi and Mandela were not prophets, they both lived in the real world.

ippy

[Bubbles]

They, Ghandi and Mandela, were exceptionally good people in much the same way I'm sure this Jesus person alluded to would have been and I very much doubt if the said Jesus was anything more than that, if he did ever exist.

Prophet, another one of those potty theistic words that unfortunately manage to get themselves incorporated into our language and no Gandhi and Mandela were not prophets, they both lived in the real world.

ippy

Prophets can be part of the real world too.

http://www.jewfaq.org/m/prophet.htm

"• A prophet is G-d's spokesman to the people
• Can be male or female, Jewish or gentile
• The Bible records 48 male prophets, 7 female and one gentile
• Daniel was not a prophet because he did not speak to the people"


The above from the link.

If someone stands up and speaks an important message to the people about aspects of  moral and ethical matters, in hindsight I suppose they could be classed as prophets.

In my link it's says...

"According to some views, prophecy is not a gift that is arbitrarily conferred upon people; rather, it is the culmination of a person's spiritual and ethical development. When a person reaches a sufficient level of spiritual and ethical achievement, the Shechinah (Divine Spirit) comes to rest upon him or her. Likewise, the gift of prophecy leaves the person if that person lapses from his or her spiritual and ethical perfection."

So I guess a prophet could a human rights advocate who stands up and shouts on behalf of the weak and vunerable, Jesus because he stood up for the downtrodden and spoke to people could too.

I guess anyone could stand up for what is right and be thought of as a prophet.

Perhaps we all have the potential to be a prophet, if just for five minutes 

[Sriram]

Yes....in some future incarnation you could indeed be sufficiently spiritually developed to be a prophet...!

[Bubbles]

Yes....in some future incarnation you could indeed be sufficiently spiritually developed to be a prophet...!

Prophet = Guru?

 

[Sriram]

Prophet = Guru?

 

What?   A guru is basically a teacher, an expert at something.

[Dicky Underpants]

What?   A guru is basically a teacher, an expert at something.

Though Judaic prophets have traditionally been thought to be concerned with the future, many of the great prophets of the Bible were concerned with educating their own times in the 'ways of the Lord"

[Sriram]

Though Judaic prophets have traditionally been thought to be concerned with the future, many of the great prophets of the Bible were concerned with educating their own times in the 'ways of the Lord"

We in India don't really differentiate between such qualities. We only call wise and evolved people as  Rishis or sages who KNOW reality. Such people could teach others or just remain as hermits or sometimes make prophecies.

[trippymonkey]

Doesn't a prophet actually have to PROPHESY something otherwise they're 'just' a teacher, no ?!?!!?

And a prophesy that comes true in THEIR lifetime

Nick

[Dicky Underpants]

Doesn't a prophet actually have to PROPHESY something otherwise they're 'just' a teacher, no ?!?!!?

And a prophesy that comes true in THEIR lifetime

Nick

That's what the words prophet and prophesy have come to signify in everyday English, but the biblical usage (Hebrew: nabi) seems to be more general, with the sense of 'one who speaks for God'

This from wiki:

"The historic meaning of nabî' established by biblical usage is "interpreter and mouthpiece of God". This is forcibly illustrated by the passage, where Moses, excusing himself from speaking to Pharao on account of his embarrassment of speech, was answered by Yahweh: "Behold I have appointed thee the God of Pharao: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak to him all that I command thee; and he shall speak to Pharao, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land" (Exodus 7:1-2). Moses plays towards the King of Egypt the role of God, inspiring what is to be uttered, and Aaron is the prophet, his mouthpiece, transmitting the inspired message he shall receive. The Greek prophetes (from pro-phanai, to speak for, or in the name of someone) translates the Hebrew accurately."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophet

Foretelling the future seems to be a secondary meaning to this.

[ippy]

Yes....in some future incarnation you could indeed be sufficiently spiritually developed to be a prophet...!

Just like you or anyone else Sriram, I can imagine that.

Regards ippy

[Sebastian Toe]

What?   A guru is basically a teacher, an expert at something.

Could they be an expert at predicting future events? 

[Robbie]

Rose - "Perhaps we all have the potential to be a prophet, if just for five minutes  "

I totally agree Rose, we can all prophesy accurately sometimes. People have foreseen changes in government, financial disasters, wars, personal things. That's not divine, it's just looking ahead analytically. (Can be wrong too!)

Jesus was considered to be the Messiah and prophet by those who followed him in Biblical times, and is now by Christians but there are non-Trinitarian groups such as Unitarians who don't believe he was God.

[Sriram]

Rose - "Perhaps we all have the potential to be a prophet, if just for five minutes  "

I totally agree Rose, we can all prophesy accurately sometimes. People have foreseen changes in government, financial disasters, wars, personal things. That's not divine, it's just looking ahead analytically. (Can be wrong too!)

Jesus was considered to be the Messiah and prophet by those who followed him in Biblical times, and is now by Christians but there are non-Trinitarian groups such as Unitarians who don't believe he was God.

It is usually individuals or communities that are unsettled, in constant strife and unsure of the future, that would be most in need of some prophecy for a better future. These communities/individuals don't see any way of exercising control over their situation.

Historically, Jews have been in this situation for centuries.   Therefore the need for prophecy and the need to be saved is highest in such communities. 'Someone is going to come very soon and sort out all problems'!  Not that it actually happens, but it gives hope.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Khatru,

Excellent thread And to answer your question, yes I think you could call Our Lord a kind of a Prophet, although we Christians prefer Son of God

Dear Blue,

What's that fellows name, the Swedish guy ( the one who died recently ) who predicted future events using data, was he a kind of a prophet

Dear Rose,

We all have potential to be prophets!! I like it!! Brexit! Tis the end of the world, Brexit! A new rosy future Well depends on which Prophet you consult.

But I like the way this thread is going, the deeper meaning of what a prophet is exactly, the prophets of the old Testament, were they just people who could see the way thing were going, continue on your wicked ways Israel and your in for a hard time and they were usually right ( whether God came in a flaming chariot is another story for another time ).

My prophesy, continue to have a Tory government and the poor of this country will suffer Hey!! this prophesying is easy

Sorry for my little political derailment Khatru, I like this thread, some very excellent posts.

Gonnagle.

[Anchorman]

We use the term 'prophet' to denote someone who does some mystic Meg stuff - but it meant a lot more than that in the OT. Some prophets, like Jeremiah or Ezekiel did indeed have a gift of writing down what God had in store. Others basically showed a mirror to society in general, and the nation's leaders in particular, making a stand where the felt the standards had slipped - at the cost of their income, safety and sometimes their lives. So, in the OT sense of the word, yes, Jesus was a prophet - the ultimate prophet, being the fulfillment of God's plan. Combining the role of teacher, prophet, and His identity as God, he was, and is, the last of the prophets of Biblical vintage. Because of his actions, there were, nor will be, any more such. Some may have some gift of prophecy to some degree - or claim it - but none can really be a 'prophet' again.