Introduction
Last week, we categorized the gifts of the Spirit into three simple groups;                                                
*Three gifts of utterance that say something; (Prophecy, Divers kinds of tongues, Interpretation of tongues).
*Three gifts of power that do something: (The gift of faith, the working of miracles, the gifts of healings)
*Three gifts of revelation that reveal something: (The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the discerning     of spirits).

This week, we shall examine the gift of Prophesy and differentiate it from the office of a Prophet.

1) What is Prophesy; 1Cor.14:1: "Follow after charity [love], and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may PROPHESY."
The Hebrew meaning of the phrase, "to prophesy" is to flow forth. It also carries with it the thought: to bubble forth like a fountain, to let drop, to lift up, to tumble forth, and to spring forth. The Greek word that is translated "prophesy" means to speak for another. So "prophesy" can mean to speak for God or to be His spokesman.

Again, at the end of First Corinthians chapter 14, Paul repeated, "Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy ..." (1 Cor. 14:39). Paul was writing by the inspiration of God. We could say it this way: God through Paul spoke to the Church at Corinth (and it applies to the Church everywhere) to desire spiritual gifts, but rather that we may prophesy (1 Cor. 14:1,39). Foretelling vs. Forth Telling

2) Prophesy Vs Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues
The Bible says, ". . . greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret ..."    (1 Cor. 14:5). This infers that to speak with tongues and to interpret the tongues is equivalent to prophecy. Therefore, prophecy is really the most important of these three gifts of inspiration or utterance in that it does not require another gift to complete it. Prophecy is supernatural utterance in a known tongue.
3) The Gift of Prophecy vs. The Office of the Prophet
The simple gift of prophecy should not be confused with the prophetic office or with prophetic utterance that may come forth in the prophet's ministry. Paul said, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to EDIFICATION, and EXHORTATION, and COMFORT" (1 Cor. 14:3). Thus, we can readily see that in the simple gift of prophecy there is no revelation. The simple gift of prophecy is given for edification, exhortation, and comfort. In the office of the prophet, however we very often find that revelation or foretelling does come forth, even through the vehicle of prophecy. It is also interesting to note the difference between prophecy in the Old Testament and prophecy in the New Testament. In the Old Testament prophecy was essentially foretelling, but in the New Testament we see that the gift of prophecy shifts strongly to forth telling.
Notice that in First Corinthians 14:1, Paul was telling the whole Church at Corinth to covet to prophesy and to desire spiritual gifts, ". . . but rather that ye may prophesy." Yet in First Corinthians 12:28, Paul said that all are not prophets. If prophesying made a person a prophet, then Paul would be contradicting himself. In other words, the fact that the gift of simple prophecy operates through a person doesn't make him a prophet.
For example, a rich man has money. Most of us have at least some money, even if it's only a few cents, but that doesn't make us rich. By the same token, a prophet would of course prophesy, but a person who prophesies wouldn't necessarily be a prophet.

Also, a prophet would have more of the gifts of the Spirit in operation than just the gift of prophecy. He would have revelation gifts operating along with prophecy for the simple reason that Paul says in First Corinthians 14:29 and 30, "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If anything be REVEALED to another that sitteth by [that is, another prophet], let the first hold his peace."
Here Paul is talking about revelation. "If anything be REVEALED . . ." (v. 30). Therefore, the
Prophet would have other revelation gifts operating in his ministry, as well as the gift of prophecy

To constitute standing in the office of the prophet, a person needs to have at least two of the revelation gifts operating on a continual basis in his life and ministry, plus the gift of prophecy. In other words, for a person to stand in the office of the prophet, he would need to be called to the fivefold ministry as a preacher or teacher of the Word (Eph. 4:11,12), and have two of the three revelation gifts — the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, or the discerning of spirits ¦— plus prophecy operating consistently in his ministry.
4) New Testament Example Of the Gift of Prophecy; Act 21:8,9
“And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9 And the same man Philip had four daughters, virgins, WHICH DID PROPHESY.”  We see a scriptural illustration of some believers who had the gift of prophecy operating in their lives.
All four of Philip's daughters had this simple gift of prophecy operating in their lives. They must have prophesied in the services held in their house because otherwise Paul and his company would not have known that they prophesied. Philip's daughters spoke to the whole company to edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor.14:3). However, when the prophet Agabus came, he had a message from the Holy Spirit on a higher order, which brought revelation.

5) New Testament Example of The Prophet's Ministry; ACTS 21:10,11
“And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and
feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”  Agabus wasn't necessarily prophesying here in the sense that we normally think of the gift of simple prophecy. He just had a message from the Holy Ghost. He had a message that had some revelation with it — the word of wisdom. However, no definite direction was given to Paul in this message in the sense that Agabus didn't tell Paul to go or not to go to Jerusalem. That decision was left up to Paul. Agabus just told Paul what was going to happen in the near future should he go to Jerusalem.
There are two possible ways of interpreting the word of wisdom that Agabus had for Paul. One, it was a word of wisdom delivered through the vehicle of prophecy. Two, Agabus was just
reporting the word of wisdom he already knew by the Spirit of God.

Conclusion: God is always willing to allow His gifts of the Spirit to operate in and through us. We must all become wiling vessels for Him to use as we continue to pray more in the spirit.
              This study was extracted from Kenneth E. Hagin’s book; The Spirit and His Gifts.

Contributor: Alex Alajiki