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“A prophet shall [the] Lord your God raise up to you out of your brethren like |
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me: him shall ye hear in everything whatsoever he shall say to you. And it shall |
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be that whatsoever soul shall not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from |
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among the people.” (Acts 3:22/23). |
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The above quotation is from an address of Peter where he is quoting Moses. From the context it is clear that the apostles recognised that Jesus was the one spoken about. It is not just what various Jews in the gospels said of Christ, but we have here apostolic authority for saying that Jesus was not just a prophet but the prophet spoken of by Moses. Further, it is clear that it is a solemn matter not to give heed to the prophet. Anyone who does not hear that prophet will have no place amongst God’s people. |
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Christ’s office of prophet is an important one. His office has however been claimed in the minds of Mohammedans for what they call The Prophet, that is, Mohammed. It may be noted that in the section of Deuteronomy from which Peter quotes (chapter 18:15-19) it is said that the prophet will arise “from the midst of thee” (verse 15). Mohammed rose according to the Mohammedans out of Ishmael which can be plausibly said to be “of thy brethren” (verse 15), but it cannot with any reason be claimed that he arose out of the midst of thee, that is, out of Israel. Christ did, and for this reason his credentials are impeccable, whereas those of Mohammed are not. |
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Christ’s office of prophet no doubt began after his baptism, when the Holy Spirit came upon Him (John 1:32-34). Before then there is no scriptural evidence that He said anything of a prophetic nature or worked miracles. Kings, prophets and priests were anointed. Christ’s anointing gave Him power: “God anointed him with [the] Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38). In some minds, which think of Christ as if He were omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent when here on earth, the thought that He was a prophet, that is God’s spokesman, means little, if anything at all. God cannot be Himself and also his spokesman, the persons must be distinct as with Moses and Aaron: “See, I have made thee God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy |