What is the definition of a prophet?

minuteman wrote:    Again you have not discussed the reply by Andalus. I may use the OT and NT and the Quran. There is no harm. I have the Quran and you have the OT and NT. OT and NT will suit you most because you believe in them. Please note that the most important thing for a prophet is to prophesize. If some one does not prophesy then he cannot be a prophet of God. We will again take note of all you items mentioned in your formula of the true prophets. Later. In the meantime, please read carefulkly the reply by Andalus and try to comment because I have given my agreement to those points.

I don't know why you care so much about my conversation with Andulus but I believe I have answered his questions. The Bible tells us what a prophet is, in the OT and in the NT. So far the prophets of the Bible are true because their prphecies were fullfilled.

The concept of prophet and messnger is ill defined in the Bible, although both terms are used frequently.

According to the Qur'an, A prophet is the righteous man whom God spoke to. There are too many prophets we dont know about. A messenger however is the prophet who was given a new divine message to reform his society. A messenger by definition is a prophet, but not every prophet was a messnger. Messengers were protected from being killed, but the same protection did not apply on prophets only. The Qur'an spoke about prophets being killed but no messenger was killed. John the Baptist is the best examply as he was a prophet and he was kiiled, like Zachria, but Jesus who was a messnger was protected from being killed. All known messngers died naturally except Jesus who is still alife.

The Biblical confusion came from the fact that the Bible uses the term prophet more frequently, because it applies both to messengers and prophets. The distinction between their roles and fate could only be appreciated when the diferentiation between who was only a prophet and who was a messnger 'a prophet by defintion' be clear.