Some argue that there are no prophets today and that there is only the gift of prophecy.

Most of the time, that argument starts with Luke 16:16:

“The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached…”

While I can understand how reading that one verse could make it seem like prophets have been done away with, it is important to search the Scriptures and rightly divide the Word by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth.

That verse is not saying prophets ceased with John the Baptist.

Jesus is speaking about a shift in covenant era. “Until John” marks the closing of an era.

From that point forward, the Kingdom is no longer just being promised—it is being proclaimed and revealed.

So a shift is being made from pointing TO Christ to REVEALING Christ.

NT RECOGNITION OF PROPHETS

If we continue reading the New Testament, prophets do not disappear. They are still very active, present and needed in the Church.

Ephesians 4:11–13 describes specific people that Christ gave to the Church…

• IT TELLS US WHO THEY ARE: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers…”
• IT TELLS US WHAT THEY ARE GIVEN TO DO: “…for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…”
• IT TELLS US HOW LONG THEY ARE NEEDED: “…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

So, if we want to know if prophets still exist today, we can simply ask…

• Has the Church reached unity of the faith, full maturity and the fullness of Christ???
• Also, if prophets no longer exist, why are they listed alongside other gifts to the Body that most people readily accept and agree are still needed today???

EXAMPLES