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Tag: Ephesians 4

  • What Is the Gift of Prophecy in the Bible?

    What Is the Gift of Prophecy in the Bible?

    The gift of prophecy in the Bible is a God-given ability to speak a message from God to his people. Many readers assume prophecy simply means predicting the future, but the New Testament describes something broader and more pastoral. This article looks at what Scripture says about the gift, and at the sincere disagreement among Christians about whether it continues today.

    What the Bible Means by Prophecy

    In the Old Testament, prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel spoke for God to Israel, calling the people back to faithfulness and sometimes foretelling what was coming. The New Testament carries that idea into the life of the church. Paul lists prophecy among the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, alongside gifts like healing, discernment, and teaching.

    When Paul explains what the gift is for, he emphasizes people more than predictions: “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3). Prophecy, in this description, builds up, urges, and consoles. Paul even tells the Corinthians to “desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:1), because it strengthens the whole congregation.

    The New Testament also places the gift inside the life of the church. Ephesians 4:11-12 says Christ “gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

    Testing a Prophetic Word

    The Bible does not ask believers to accept every claimed message without question. Paul writes, “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). Respect for the gift and careful testing go together. Most traditions agree that any prophetic message must be weighed against Scripture and judged by whether it points people toward Christ and builds up the church.

    Does the Gift of Prophecy Continue Today?

    Here sincere Christians part ways, and this site does not take a side. One view, often called continuationism, holds that the gifts of the Spirit, including prophecy, continue in the church today. Those who hold it point to passages like 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 and to the church’s ongoing need for encouragement and guidance. They typically say modern prophecy is fallible and must always be tested, and that it never adds to Scripture.

    The other view, often called cessationism, holds that prophecy and certain other gifts served a foundational role in the early church and have ceased now that the Bible is complete. Those who hold it often point to Ephesians 2:20, where the church is described as built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and to 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, where Paul says prophecies “shall fail” and speaks of a time “when that which is perfect is come.” Christians disagree about what that “perfect” thing is. Some understand it as the completed Scripture, and others as the return of Christ and the life to come.

    Many believers fall somewhere between these two positions, and thoughtful Christians in every tradition agree that love, humility, and faithfulness to Scripture matter more than any single gift. For the related discussion about tongues, see What Is the Gift of Tongues in the Bible?

    Key Bible Verses

    1 Corinthians 14:3
    “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”

    1 Corinthians 13:8
    “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”

    Ephesians 4:11-12
    “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is the gift of prophecy only about predicting the future?

    No. Predicting events is one part of prophecy in the Old Testament, but 1 Corinthians 14:3 describes the New Testament gift as speaking to people for their edification, exhortation, and comfort.

    Is the gift of prophecy still active today?

    Christians answer this differently. Continuationists believe the gift continues, to be tested against Scripture, while cessationists believe it ended with the apostolic age. Both groups hold that no prophecy can add to or override the Bible.

    Related Bible Topics

    What Is the Gift of Tongues in the Bible? | What Are the Books of the Prophets in the Bible? | What Is Divination in the Bible?

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  • Is Anger a Sin in the Bible?

    Is Anger a Sin in the Bible?

    Anger itself is not a sin in the Bible, but what you do with it can be. Scripture shows God experiencing anger, shows Jesus becoming angry, and never condemns the emotion by itself. At the same time, it gives clear warnings about letting anger control you, harden into lasting bitterness, or lead you into sin. Here’s what the Bible actually says.

    Is Anger Always Sinful?

    No. The Bible treats anger as a real, sometimes appropriate human emotion, not something to feel guilty over by itself. God is repeatedly described as angered by injustice and unfaithfulness throughout the Old Testament, and Jesus himself grew angry when he overturned the money changers’ tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13) and when he confronted the hardness of heart around him (Mark 3:5). If anger were sinful by definition, neither example would make sense. What scripture consistently addresses is not the emotion itself, but what a person does with it.

    What Does Ephesians 4:26 Mean?

    The clearest verse on this question is Ephesians 4:26-27: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.” Paul’s wording assumes anger will happen; he does not say “do not be angry.” Instead, he draws a line between the feeling and what follows it. The command is to deal with anger quickly and honestly, before the day ends, rather than letting it sit and harden into something worse. Left unresolved, Paul warns, anger becomes an opening for the devil, a foothold for bitterness, grudges, or actions you would not otherwise take.

    When Does Anger Become Sin?

    The Bible points to specific ways anger crosses into sin. James 1:19-20 warns believers to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,” because human anger does not produce the righteousness God is after; a quick temper and careless words are treated as a spiritual problem, not just a personality trait. Ecclesiastes 7:9 adds that anger acted on impulsively, without restraint, “resteth in the bosom of fools.” Paul also lists “wrath” alongside malice and bitterness as things believers are told to put away entirely (Ephesians 4:31), and Proverbs repeatedly links a hot temper to conflict and folly. The pattern is consistent: anger becomes sin when it is acted out in harmful words or actions, held onto as lasting bitterness or malice, or allowed to rule a person’s responses instead of being brought under control.

    How Should Christians Handle Anger?

    Scripture’s counsel is practical rather than complicated: acknowledge the anger honestly, deal with its cause quickly rather than letting it fester, and refuse to let it turn into lasting bitterness or revenge. James 1:19 is the model, listening before speaking and speaking slowly rather than reacting. Ephesians 4:31-32 follows its warning about anger with the alternative: putting away bitterness and wrath in favor of kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness. The goal is not to feel nothing, but to keep anger from having the final say.

    Key Bible Verses

    Ephesians 4:26-27
    “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.”

    James 1:19-20
    “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

    Ecclesiastes 7:9
    “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Was Jesus ever angry?

    Yes. The Gospels describe Jesus becoming angry, most clearly when he overturned the money changers’ tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13) and when he confronted the hardness of heart around him (Mark 3:5). His anger was directed at injustice and hypocrisy, not held onto as personal bitterness.

    What should I do if I’m struggling to control my anger?

    Start with James 1:19, quick to listen and slow to speak, and bring the specific situation to God honestly in prayer rather than suppressing it. If anger is a recurring struggle affecting your relationships, talking with a pastor or trusted counselor can help you work through it in a healthy way.

    Related Bible Topics

    What Does the Bible Say About Sin? | What Does the Bible Say About Envy? | What Are the Fruits of the Spirit?

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  • What Does “Edify” Mean in the Bible?

    What Does “Edify” Mean in the Bible?

    To “edify” someone in the Bible means to build them up spiritually, strengthening their faith rather than tearing it down. The word appears again and again in the New Testament, almost always describing how believers are meant to treat one another in the everyday life of the church. Here’s what it means, where it comes from, and how the Bible actually describes it in practice.

    What Does “Edify” Actually Mean?

    The English word “edify” comes from the Latin for building a house, and that’s exactly the picture the New Testament writers had in mind. The underlying Greek word, oikodomeo, literally means “to build” or “to build up.” Just as a builder adds one piece at a time until a structure stands strong, edification is the process of adding to someone’s faith, understanding, and character until they’re stronger in Christ than they were before. It’s the opposite of tearing someone down through criticism, gossip, or careless words. Paul draws on this same building imagery in 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, describing believers as God’s building with Christ as the foundation.

    Edifying One Another in Everyday Life

    Most of the Bible’s teaching on edification isn’t aimed at pastors or teachers specifically. It’s aimed at ordinary believers in their ordinary conversations. Paul tells the Thessalonians to “comfort yourselves together, and edify one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and he tells the Romans to pursue “the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Romans 14:19). In both cases, edification is something every believer does for every other believer, not a task reserved for the pulpit. Ephesians 4:29 gets specific about how: speech itself should be measured by whether it builds others up. Words that discourage, belittle, or wound don’t fit that standard, even if they’re technically true.

    Edification and Spiritual Gifts

    Paul returns to the idea of edification repeatedly in 1 Corinthians 12-14, where he’s addressing how spiritual gifts should be used in worship. His standard is consistent throughout: whatever gift is exercised, the point is to build up the church, not to draw attention to the person exercising it. “Let all things be done unto edifying” (1 Corinthians 14:26) sums up his instruction to a congregation that had gifts in abundance but wasn’t always using them well. He makes a similar point in 1 Corinthians 8:1, contrasting knowledge that “puffeth up” with love that “edifieth” — information alone can make a person proud, but genuine love for others is what actually builds them up. (For more on how different traditions understand the specific gifts Paul discusses in these chapters, see What Is the Gift of Tongues in the Bible?)

    Why Edification Still Matters

    Edification gives believers a simple, practical test for how they treat each other: does this word, this action, this choice build the other person up, or does it tear them down? It’s a standard that applies to conversations at church, comments online, and everything in between. The Bible doesn’t ask believers to withhold honesty in the name of edification, but it does call them to speak the truth in a way that strengthens rather than wounds, and to make the spiritual good of others a real priority rather than an afterthought.

    Key Bible Verses

    Ephesians 4:29
    “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

    1 Thessalonians 5:11
    “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

    Romans 14:19
    “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is edifying someone the same as flattering them?

    No. Flattery tells people what they want to hear, often to gain favor. Edification tells people what actually strengthens their faith and character, even when that includes honest correction. Ephesians 4:15 pairs “speaking the truth” with “in love” — the Bible doesn’t treat truth and kindness as opposites.

    What’s a simple way to edify someone today?

    Start with words: a specific encouragement, a genuine thank-you, or checking in on someone who’s struggling. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 frames edification as something believers already do for each other — the call is simply to keep doing it intentionally, rather than leaving it to chance.

    Related Bible Topics

    What Is the Gift of Tongues in the Bible? | What Are the Fruits of the Spirit? | Common Questions About the Holy Spirit

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