Prophecy: is it a spiritual gift or has it been removed?

I've wondered about this passage in the Apocryphon of James too.  Like all passages quoted to Jesus, this passage likely has many layers of potential interpretation.  The one that sticks out to me is that perhaps James' and Peter's question was more about people-pleasing and Jesus was pointing that out to them. I think the idea that a prophet is someone that sees the future is a bit of a misnomer.  A prophet is someone who is able to "read the writing on the wall" so to speak.  To see the big picture and be able to express that too others.  To repeat what others have said or to tell people what they want to hear was a sure way to get some people to consider you a prophet but to really do the work, to seek the Truth, suffer the consequences, reap the rewards, and be able to speak it in a way that others can understand......... that's what John the Baptist did.  Jesus was pointing out to them that if they were trying to fill his shoes, they were going to fail..... be yourself instead and serve God in a way that only you can.   

Politics often works its way into scripture so its likely that an intended message of this passage and the Apocryphon of James itself was the idea of Jesus telling James and Peter, "You don't really get it bro, but I love you anyway".  Perhaps it was written during the time of diverse early Christianities: James representing those who saw Christianity as an extension of Judaism and Peter representing (as he often does in Gnostic texts) proto-orthodoxy. Maybe not, but it sure seems to have that theme throughout.



  

I see Prophet and prophet as two different things. Websters describes prophet:

1
: one who utters divinely inspired revelations: as
a often capitalized : the writer of one of the prophetic books of the Bible
b capitalized : one regarded by a group of followers as the final authoritative revealer of God's will <Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah>
2
: one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight; especially : an inspired poet
3
: one who foretells future events : predictor
4
: an effective or leading spokesman for a cause, doctrine, or group

While Muhammad is revered as a Prophet, all you need is a following to see one as a Prophet. Prophets don't always tell of future events. This definition from Oxfords seems more correct:

"A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God:"

But John was the last of definition 3 above. He spoke of that which is perfect coming. Paul said "when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part will be done away". This aligns with Secret James. Prophecy was always in part. In Ephesians, Paul uses prophet as the Oxford definition. The Disciple asked of Prophets like the Hebrews had, who prophesied in part. Christ says the last of these are gone with John the Baptist. Now we have to live among false prophets (those who thing they interpret future events by the will of God). 2nd Peter has Peter teaching of the day of the lord. But I don't see that as a prophesy Once we were able to receive the Holy Spirit, we use knowledge from her teaching to see the path ahead of us. Doesn't matter if it's one day or one millennium. Within our mind (or head) we now follow Christ who says "what is that to thee, follow me". If we get caught up in prophecies (foretold events), man can sway us.(think Jim Jones here). "My sheep hear my voice" through the Holy Spirit is all we need trust in.

That's my take. Words can confuse without true image.

Names given to the worldly are very deceptive, for they divert our thoughts from what is correct to what is incorrect. Thus one who hears the word "God" does not perceive what is correct, but perceives what is incorrect. So also with "the Father" and "the Son" and "the Holy Spirit" and "life" and "light" and "resurrection" and "the Church (Ekklesia)" and all the rest - people do not perceive what is correct but they perceive what is incorrect, unless they have come to know what is correct. The names which are heard are in the world [...] deceive. If they were in the Aeon (eternal realm), they would at no time be used as names in the world. Nor were they set among worldly things. They have an end in the Aeon. -Gospel of Philip

Philip warns us. I see the difference in Prophet, prophet, prophecy, etc. As I said on one other thread here, we cannot believe words as truth. If we do, the translators will confuse us. Like using Priest over elder.