In Ephesians Chapter 4 the Apostle Paul listed five ministries that he called "gifts" to the church.  These gifts come directly from our Lord Jesus Christ and are an expression of His grace towards us.  The chapter explores all five of these gifts giving us a framework for seeing how the gift of a prophet fits in with the other four.  We learn how they all work together to nurture Jesus' body, protecting, nurturing, healing, guiding and innoculating against error.

Chapter 2 begins with a dramatization of 1 Kings 22:1-29 where the prophet Micaiah predicts Ahab's death at Ramoth-Gilead.  From Micaiah's experience we learn how the prophetic person is deeply dependent on the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Both pastor and prophet enjoy unique anointings from the Holy Spirit that enable them to do the work God has assigned them.  How do those anointings differ?

Is a pastor obligated to follow the advice of a prophet?

Write a short paragraph describing the proper use of an apostle’s authority in the church.  Is his authority absolute?  Now, write a similar paragraph for the offices of pastor and prophet.

By what two criteria do we judge a prophet’s words?

Has God provided a “forest glade” in your life that has become a source of grace to you?  Write a paragraph describing it.

How is the prophet’s message often sweet and bitter at the same time?

The author wrote that discouragement is the prophet’s greatest challenge.  What else makes his calling difficult?  (Hint:  Re-read the section about Moses.)

When are we the most vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks?