Scholarly Reflections
McDonald, James I.H. "Chapter One: Propheteia." Kerygma and Didache: The Articulation and Structure of the earliest Christian message. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980, 12-38.
McDonald notes that "prophecy" in different traditions can mean radically different things. The Christian tradition of prophecy "inevitably derived in the main from the prophetic tradition of Israel" (McDonald 1980, 12). The prophet primarily serves as a messenger.
Old Testament prophecy tends to be made of a combination of up to four elements: reproach, threat (judgment), promise, and exhortation (McDonald 1980, 13). Though there is some debate about the precise terms involved, McDonald finds scholarship identifying those essential categories. The prophetic elements are all based on a word, speech, or reasoned concept imparted to the prophet (McDonald 1980, 15).
In New Testament prophecy, McDonald first considers the preaching of John the Baptist. In his preaching there is an announcement of the superiority of Messianic salvation (McDonald 1980, 17). McDonald also finds a typical call for repentance. The urgency of repentance is built on the concept of judgment coming closer day by day (McDonald 1980, 18). The eschatological urgency takes slightly different forms in the reports of the different evangelists, but it is certainly present.
The preaching of Jesus also has prophetic elements, though McDonald's view of these elements is clouded by his acceptance of higher critical analysis and an assumption of the Jesus tradition being borrowed from Judaism and put into the mouth of Jesus by his followers (McDonald 1980, 19). Regardless, Jesus was recognized by his followers as a prophet. McDonald finds his teaching to contain calls to repentance and announcements of salvation as God's kingdom is fulfilled (McDonald 1980, 20). Threats of judgment and penalty are also present in Jesus' teaching (McDonald 1980, w1). Prophetic signs, which are not present in the work of John the Baptist, are present in Jesus' work. The signs are typically particularly prophetic action, not simply miracles (McDonald 1980, 22). McDonald describes the parabolic significance of the signs done by Jesus in some detail. Througout the discussion, McDonald finds difficulties presented by his assumption that many of the acts and sayings of Jesus were invented later and superimposed on the Jesus character.
McDonald finds in the move to apostolic preaching a significant shift from Old Testament preaching and the preaching of Jesus. This shift particularly shows in the underlying presuppositions, as the message is about Jesus and the inner life based on his message, rather than being about what would happen when the Messiah would come (McDonald 1980, 28). The apostolic witness came to focus on the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a message of a community which had not existed previously (McDonald 1980, 29). McDonald particularly notes the significance of the resurrection, as it sets the Christian message apart through its eschatological orientation (McDonald 1980, 30). The resurrection urges a new evaluation of the implications of numerous elements of Jesus' message, from their own hope in life and death to the way they would conduct themselves in the world. Of special importance to McDonald is the objective nature of the resurrection, something clearly outside of ourselves (McDonald 1980, 31).
McDonald further observes that the spiritual gifts evident in Acts and in 1 Corinthians are a sort of prophetic activity (McDonald 1980, 31). They show a pattern of prophetic acts in various places and times. Paul's theology takes prophecy to be the most important gift, though McDonald affirms he doesn't consider himself a prophet (McDonald 1980, 32). Paul's work includes the hallmarks of prophecy, including messages of judgment and salvation. Upon futher analysis, we can also observe with McDonald numerous characteristics of prophetic activity in Paul which are common to the New Testament prophet Agabus. The prophetic writing of Revelation is depicted as a series of visions which came from Christ. Again, te prophetic motifs are present but unlike the Old Testament prophets there is a call to write, not a call to be a prophet (McDonald 1980, 33).
While the New Testament prophet has a role in passing down tradition, McDonald also finds a freedom to explain and elaborate on traditions (McDonald 1980, 35). He could speak to the community in the first person, rather than exclusively the third person. Another element McDonald observes is the wide variety of prophetic utterances and the fact that the apostles and other prophets could contradict statements of the prophets (McDonald 1980, 36). This may well have contributed to the development of hermeneutical practices which could define how the Old Testament should be interpreted.