In this post we’ll look at the definition of the word prophet in the original language, and how it points us to some unique qualities of prophets in general.
A little Greek Geek moment…
The word prophet comes from the Greek word προφήτης (prophetes). But it’s actually a combination of the two Greek words πρό (pro) and φημί (phemi). The word πρό (pro) means before, and the word φημί (phemi) means bring to light.
Now it’s true, the meaning of a Greek word is more than just the sum of its parts.
But…
The word prophet is what linguists call a compound verb – a word that combines a preposition with a verb. For those who barely passed English, hang with me for sec – here’s my point:
The two words πρό (pro) and φημί (phemi) are like the blue and red lenses on a pair of 3D glasses you get at the movie theater. Each word has its own shade of meaning that affects how we “see” the meaning of the word as a whole. So we’re going to take a quick look through each lens separately – first the blue lens of πρό (pro), then the red lens of φημί (phemi), and then we’ll look through both lenses at the same time.
Before
The word πρό (pro) can have temporal, spatial, and relational significance. Temporally the word points to a sequence of events where one thing comes before another. It implies something comes first, and therefore takes priority, in relation to other things that come second, third etc.
The spatial significance points to someone standing before another person. There’s a representative dynamic here where one person stands before others to communicate something.
The relational significance flows out of the spatial. It implies a posture of being turned towards another person for communication and interaction. There can be a kind of face-to-face imagery here.
The implications of the meaning of πρό (pro) for our understading of the prophet are best seen in light of the word φημί (phemi)…
Bring To Light
The word φημί (phemi) means bring to light. In the context of a first century home, the source of light was often placed at the center of the room. That means the darker, more shadowy areas were at the edge of the room – away from the center. When something is brought into the light, it means it is being brought from the darker, more shadowy areas at the edge of the room to the center of the room.
The word φημί (phemi) can also mean to assert one thing over another. It points to the kind of communication that compares and contrasts between two things, with the goal of identifying one thing as being more important than another.
One who Reveals and Reforms
When the various meanings of before and bring to light come together we start to see some of the unique skills and sensibilities of prophets. For example, prophets often engage with people, places, and problems at the edge (spatial) before other people do, and are the first (temporal) to recognize when those people, places, or problems are being overlooked or undervalued (relational). They are like the canaries in the coal mine who are the first show the signs of things that are going wrong.
Prophets then bring those people, places, and problems back from the edge to the center of the group and ask, “Are we going to pay attention to this?” (relational). Prophets want to publicize and prioritize people, places, and problems that have been marginalized.
The prophet wants to stir us up to not only pay attention, but to also proactively address, the gap that exists between the center and the edge. In fact, a prophet will not be satisfied until they start to see a closing of that gap in tangible ways.
Prophetic ministry is also a values based ministry. It often asserts one thing as being more imporant than all other things, which can sometimes give prophetic ministry a somewhat polarizing, or even overly simplistic, vibe. However, without the prophet exercising their unique skills and sensibilities to prioritize and our relationship and response to the “unseen”, a group will continue to function with a limited perspective and impact in it’s context.
One way to summarize these various meanings in the word προφήτης (prophetes) is to say that a prophet is One who Reveals and Reforms. They Reveal the “unseen” and call for Reform at the deepest level of our being, and at the furthest extent of our organizations.
Awareness
- What do you think about someone being naturally gifted by Jesus to bring something into the light before others?
- How have you seen the prophetic gifting expressed by someone in your Christian community?
- How have you seen the prophetic gifting expressed by someone in your work or school environment?
