Date
12-19-2024
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Worship (PhD)
Chair
Lori Danielson
Keywords
Prophecy, Edification, Exhortation, Consolation, Hermeneutics, Phenomenological
Disciplines
Christianity
Recommended Citation
Alexander, Drorester Ornas II, "Edification, Exhortation, and Consolation in a Prophetic Context" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6406.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6406
Abstract
According to 1 Corinthians 14 and Ephesians 4, edifying one another is necessary for building Christ’s body in love. Wayne Grudem, a notable theologian, stated that the gift of prophecy in the New Testament is “a human being reporting in merely human words something that God has brought to mind.” The researcher explored how and in what way people are affected by the words of prophecy in a New Testament context. Does the gift of prophecy in Christian music recordings from 2014 to 2024 provide consolation, edification, and exhortation to individuals identifying with Continuationists?
In examining songs containing prophetic contours, the researcher considered the lyrics or words sung and spoken during the musical performance that presented consolation, edification, and exhortation to the listener through the gift of prophecy, according to 1 Corinthians 14 and Ephesians 4, in the context of Wayne Grudem’s definition of the New Testament prophets. Interviews with the listener, musical analyses, and a lyrical and spoken content survey underwent analysis using a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Data analysis produced the following themes: (a) the Office of the Prophet in the New Testament context, (b) enlightenment and spiritual uplift, and (c) the efficacy of Christian music in a prophetic construct. The practical implications include engaging worshipers in the gift of prophecy when the opportunity presents itself, educating worshipers on the gift of prophecy, and equipping worshipers when given the gift of prophecy. Whereas cessationists follow the cessation of certain spiritual gifts, continuationists can feel consoled, edified, and exhorted by hearing a word of prophecy. Predictions about the effect of prophecy appear solvent and accede 1 Corinthians 14 and Ephesians 4.
