Copyright 2012 Theresa Harvard Johnson
In Voices of Christ, we use the scriptural term “prophetic scribe” to describe who we are as literary ministers in the midst of our faith. The reason behind this is basic. The term prophetic, as used here, simply means: The ability of a believer to hear and interpret what the Lord places in their heart.
The understanding of the word “scribe” in the culture of the Kingdom describes a function within the congregation of the Lord that encompasses a wide range of gifting — not just the call to write. Whereas the term writer simply denotes someone who writes (a singular function). You can differentiate the type of writer, but it doesn’t change the fact that a writer IS a writer.
You will find that biblical scribes were writers of some kind — meaning they were literate for their foundational purposes; but many of them also walked in other aspects of scribal ministry. This can be traced back to one simple fact: Their collective function in the Kingdom depended on their ability to read and interpret the Law of Moshe, teach, protect and preserve it, and to preserve the history and heritage of the Kingdom. They lived among a population of people who, at the time, had no widespread need to read or write. There were no bookstores, libraries, magazines, widespread publishing of any kind or even mandated schools.
Those who were able to read and write, were often among the most elite. And yes, the office of the scribe falls into that category as an elite type of skill, and biblical training. Scribes also held ADMINISTRATIVE & INSTRUCTIONAL functions among the congregation and community. In some instances, the administrative and instructional functions that they held superceded their writing or recording ability.
They held functions that ranged from record keeping to bookkeeping; financial management to event planning; and from archiving to research. So when we say “scribe,” we are calling for the FULL MEASURE of the call on their lives. The term “scribe” is a loaded word in the congregation of the Lord. There is NO WAY it could be limited to writing in BIBLICAL context.
People of God, desire to learn more about the function of The Scribal Anointing upon your life so that you may walk in the full measure of your calling with understanding and in power. It’s one thing to know how to pick up a bow and arrow and shoot it; but it is quite another to be a trained and skilled marksman with one. In this hour, we’re being called to choose the latter.
The purpose of this post is not cause you to “choose” whether or not to call yourself a scribe or a writer. That choice has already been made by Father when He called you. It is simply written to remind you that there is MORE to YOUR assignment than the writing function or the recording dimension. Whether we realize it or not, we use many of those other functions daily — and with supernatural skill unaware. But I tell you, how much more powerful would we be if we REALLY knew our scribal roots as revealed in Father’s Word. (Find out more about SCRIBE SCHOOLS.)
