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illumination of believers. He appears in Proverbs 8 as wisdom personified, teaching the children
of men. And after the incarnation He carries on His prophetical work in His teachings and
miracles, in the preaching of the apostles and of the ministers of the Word, and also in the
illumination and instruction of believers as the indwelling Spirit. He continues His prophetical
activity from heaven through the operation of the Holy Spirit. His teachings are both verbal and
factual, that is, He teaches not only by verbal communications, but also by the facts of
revelation, such as the incarnation, His atoning death, the resurrection, and ascension; and
even during the Old Testament period by types and ceremonies, by the miracles of the history
of redemption, and by the providential guidance of the people of Israel.
b. Both immediately and mediately.
He exercised His prophetical office immediately, as the
Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament period, and as the incarnate Lord by His teachings and
also by His example, John 13:15; Phil. 2:5; I Pet. 2:22. And He exercised it mediately through the
operation of the Holy Spirit, by means of the teachings of the Old Testament prophets, and of
the New Testament apostles, and exercises it even now through the indwelling Spirit in
believers, and by the agency of the ministers of the gospel. This also means that He carries on
His prophetical work both objectively and externally and subjectively and internally by the
Spirit, which is described as the Spirit of Christ.
3. SCRIPTURE PROOF FOR THE PROPHETIC OFFICE OF CHRIST.
Scripture testifies in more than
one way to the prophetical office of Christ. He is foretold as a prophet in Deut. 18:15, a passage
that is applied to Christ in Acts 3:22,23. He speaks of Himself as a prophet in Luke 13:33.
Moreover, He claims to bring a message from the Father, John 8:26-28; 12:49,50; 14:10,24;
15:15; 17:8,20, foretells future things, Matt. 24:3-35; Luke 19:41-44, and speaks with singular
authority, Matt. 7:29. His mighty works served to authenticate His message. In view of all this it
is no wonder that the people recognized Him as a prophet, Matt. 21:11,46; Luke 7:16; 24:19;
John 3:2; 4:19; 6:14; 7:40; 9:17.
4. MODERN EMPHASIS ON THE PROPHETIC OFFICE OF CHRIST.
It is one of the main
characteristics of the liberal school, both of the older liberalism, represented by Renan, Strauss,
and Keim, and of the later liberalism, represented by such men as Pfleiderer, Weinel, Wernle,
Wrede, Juelicher, Harnack, Bouset, and others, that it places the chief emphasis on Jesus as a
teacher. His significance as such is emphasized to the exclusion of the other aspects of His
person and work. There is a rather marked difference, however, between these two branches
of liberalism. According to the older liberalism Jesus derives all His significance from His
teachings, but according to the later liberalism it is the unique personality of Jesus that lends
weight to His teachings. This is undoubtedly a welcome advance, but the gain is not as great as
it may seem. In the words of La Touche: “Indeed, its recognition of the real significance of His