I was recently asked two questions that I think deserve a careful and biblical response. I trust you will find my answers helpful.

The first question concerns the issue of deliverance ministry. Here it is.

“I get the fact that there are examples of deliverance in the Gospels/Acts that should suffice to teach us that such is possible today. But how do you explain the absence of any teaching in this regard in the Epistles?”

The questionnaire is correct in saying that the numerous examples of deliverance in the Gospels and Acts are sufficient to teach us that we should engage in this ministry today.

But deliverance from demonization is not entirely absent from the Epistles. Consider 2 Corinthians 2 and 10, Ephesians 6, James 4, 1 Peter 5. Although these texts don’t specifically speak of deliverance, they do command us to resist the Devil and to avail ourselves of the armor of God.

Also, there was no need to expand on deliverance since that had been addressed in the gospels and Acts. We should also remember that virtually all the epistles are ad hoc documents, written to address particular concerns in the church in that city. None of them claim to be comprehensive treatments of every theological issue. Thus, we should not expect them to do what it was never their intention to address.

The second question is derived from Gordon Fee's statement (quoted by Leanne Payne): “There is no Pauline evidence for the phenomenon known in contemporary circles as 'personal prophecy' whereby someone prophesies over another as to the very personal matters in their lives. . .Prophecy seems to be a strictly community affair, for the sake of the community's corporate life.”

I completely disagree. 1 Corinthians 14:3 says prophecy is to edify, encourage, and console. That sounds like it would apply to individuals. Also, later in 1 Cor. 14 Paul describers an unbeliever coming to the church where prophetic ministry exposes the secrets of his heart and leads him to repent. I know of no text that says prophecy is only for the community’s corporate life. And what is the “corporate community” if not a collection of individuals who compose it?

Of course, every spiritual gift can be used in both an individual and corporate manner. In the absence of a text that actually says what Fee and Payne contend, I think prophecy is immensely helpful in an individual context.

Consider also the prophetic warning issued to Paul in Acts 21. Also, Ananias prophesied to Paul as an individual in Acts 9. Also, what about the prophetic words given personally to Timothy as described in 1 Timothy 1:18 and 4:14? These latter texts would clearly refute what Fee/Payne are saying.

So, yes, both deliverance ministry and personal prophetic ministry are to be welcomed into the life of the local church.