Written on 26 April 2025.

Are Prophets Public or Set Among the Elect?

In studying the Bible, particularly in the King James Version (KJV), it becomes clear that prophets can be either public or private depending on how God directs them. The Bible shows both models, and deeper study reveals that the prophet's relationship to the local congregation and the wider body of the elect is significant.

Public and Private Prophets

In the Old and New Testaments, some prophets acted very publicly. Moses, Elijah, Jonah, and John the Baptist were all public figures, confronting kings, nations, and multitudes. Jonah, for instance, was sent to Nineveh to warn the whole city.

Other prophets operated more privately. Nathan confronted David in private. Agabus prophesied to Paul and small groups (Acts 21). Elijah, at times, hid by God's command (1 Kings 17:3). The Bible even mentions prophets hidden in caves during persecution (1 Kings 18:4).

The pattern shows that it is not the prophet who chooses to be public or private. God directs the manner and scope of their ministry.

Prophets Set in the Church

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:28:

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Here, prophets are among those "set in the church." The term "church" (ekklesia) can refer to the visible congregation but can also point to the spiritual body of believers. Therefore, two interpretations emerge:

1. Set in Local Congregations

Prophets might be assigned roles within visible, local assemblies, offering edification, guidance, and correction. This interpretation fits Paul's detailed instructions for orderly prophecy in gatherings (1 Corinthians 14:29).

2. Set Among the Elect

Another interpretation sees prophets as set among the true elect of God, regardless of formal institutional gatherings. In this sense, prophets minister wherever the true body of Christ exists, not necessarily tied to official church structures. This view aligns with John 4:23-24, where Jesus taught that true worshipers worship in spirit and truth, not bound to a physical location.

Separation from Corrupt Structures

When religious structures become corrupted, prophets and true believers are called to separate. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:17:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Similarly, Revelation 18:4 calls God's people to come out of Babylon, a symbol of corrupt religious and political systems.

An example of this principle is found in Acts 19:8-9:

And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

Paul began teaching in the synagogue but departed when opposition hardened, taking the real disciples to a separate location. Thus, prophets and true ministers must sometimes leave institutional settings to continue God's work among the faithful.

Jesus Himself Worked Outside the System

Jesus Christ, the greatest prophet, also operated largely outside the formal religious system. While He taught in synagogues at times, much of His ministry occurred in fields, hills, boats, and private homes. He gathered disciples along the way, many of whom were marginalized or outside the religious elite.

He said in Mark 6:11:

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.

This confirms that if a place or system rejects the truth, God's messengers are to move on.

Conclusion

The Bible shows that prophets are set "in the church," but that "church" can mean either a local assembly or the spiritual body of the elect. Prophets may operate publicly or privately, depending on God's will. Crucially, when the visible religious structures become corrupted and reject the truth, prophets and believers must be willing to separate, just as Paul and even Jesus Christ demonstrated. Their loyalty is to God and the true body of Christ, not to human institutions.