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1. Question - A Reference Request:

Is there any occasion in scripture where someone prophesied to another and made an honest mistake, or were later corrected?

Note: This is apart from any discussion regarding false prophets.*


2. Context:

"Schools of Prophecy" often claim that "Words of Knowledge" to others can be mistaken, or subject to personal fallibility, (Shawn Bolz on Accountability / Fallibility);

Is there a Biblical Basis for this?

Other Closely Related Questions:

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    elika kohen: I changed the wording for clarity. Please roll back my change if you disagree, or make any alteration you wish. I also removed some of the bolding, which can be hard to read when used in excess. Jul 28, 2016 at 8:36

1 Answer 1

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The example that comes to mind is in Acts chapter 21. The context is, Paul is traveling to Jerusalem, where he knows he will be imprisoned.

We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Acts 21:4-14 (NIV) (emphasis mine)

While the information being prophesied by Agabus in this case was not false (verse 4 may be talking about only a temporary halt), the disciples certainly interpreted and reacted to the prophesy wrongly in their response to it. Paul had to correct them all, including Philip.

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  • Joel - Accepted; A.) You said : While the information being prophesied by Agabus in this case was not false; And, Agabus didn't actually tell Paul not to go ... B.) I had been hoping for an example of where a genuine prophet was corrected, because their prophecy was actually wrong; C.) But - I think this is probably the closest Scriptural example; Thanks! Mar 7, 2017 at 16:21

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