Victor Budgen’s “The Charismatics and the Word of God," 11-24

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1. Victor Budgen’s “The Charismatics and the Word of God” (Faverdall North, UK: Evangelical Press, 1989). Chapter One: Prophecy and the Old Testament, 11-24.

2. Characteristics of OT prophecy:

(1) Infallible. Moses and the 10 plagues, among all the others. This is vital.
(2) Authored by the Holy Spirit. Various texts offered which we won‘t duplicate, e.g. 1 Pet.1.11; 2 Pet.1.21. Since God was the Author, fallibility was rigourously prohibited and false prophets seen to be liars meriting death for false witness and speaking by false spirits.
(3) Supernatural. Predictions by Abraham (e.g. sojourn in Egypt), Plagues of Pharoah, days of Elijah and Elisha.
(4) Forth-telling or fore-telling, signs of prediction. Every OT prophet evinces this with infallibility.
(5) Divine urgency.
(6) Great diversity in expression: parables, symbolic acts such as Ezekiel, the poetic and literary genius such as Isaiah, thunderbolts like Nahum, tender expressions like Hosea, or cross-examining rigour of Malach.
(7) False prophets have existed throughout history, e.g. the false magicians of Pharoah’s court. One distinctive of false prophets: they do not deal with the searing issue of sin. This is a rigourous test. Aside from TBN, Arminians, semi-Pelagians and Pelagians fail this test. Sounds pretty modern.
(8) Prophets were to be tested “stringently” upon pain of death. We would add that Pat Robertson and Benny Hinn would have been put to death years ago under the Old Covenant administration.

3. More to follow, Lord willing. Argument and chapter-by-chapter, the case will be argued.