Translation
Now prophets – two or three should speak, and the others should distinguish between.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
Now regarding those who bring exhortation and admonition to the congregation – they also need to function in an orderly manner. Only two or three who are known to have the gift of exhortation should be allowed to share admonition or exhortation during a church meeting, and the others should discern between what they are saying that is right according to the Scriptures, and what they are saying that is incorrect according to the Scriptures. Don’t swallow all of it; separate the good from the bad.
Footnotes
1: “distinguish between”:
This is a compound word made up of the preposition which in this context means “wholly, completely, thoroughly, or back and forth,” and the verb “to separate, judge, decide, discern.” Together they mean “to discern by separating the parts completely from each other.”
WERE ONLY THOSE WHO HAD THE GIFT OF PROPHECY ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE CONGREGATION?
Yes, it appears that this is referring to those with this gift, not just anyone in the congregation. A number of respected commentators hold this view. The verse starts with the words “now prophets,” which highlights that group of believers. Thereafter, till the end of this small section, words such as “two or three, the others, another, the first,” refer to others in the group of prophets. Even the first “all” in verse 31 refers to the prophets because it is referring to those who prophecy; the second “all” in that verse refers to those who listen and learn.
A person could enter that group by showing wisdom and the ability to articulate spiritual truth clearly and powerfully in other settings such as conversations and Bible studies. After various ones had confirmed that this person’s gift was beneficial to the body of Christ, he was allowed to share with the entire congregation.
I will add that, although it is not mentioned here, the elders present could participate in various ways during the meetings of the congregation. Some of them shared some exhortations to those present because they had been given something to share by God. If a specific elder was given admonitions to share on a semi-regular basis, he was seen as someone with the gift of prophecy.
DO THOSE WITH THE GIFT OF PROPHECY ALWAYS FOLLOW THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The reason they should distinguish between what is right and what is not right is that even someone with the gift of exhortation (prophecy) must choose to rely on the Holy Spirit. If he speaks on his own, it will not have the power that it has when the Holy Spirit is behind it, but he can possibly make it sound pretty good. That is why it must be compared to what the Bible says about the subject. The word of God is always our most solid and trusted tool for evaluating truth.