Prophecy is not the same as prophet

Summary:

Paul wrote that among the spiritual gifts, there was the spiritual gift of "PROPHECY" (Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10) and the spiritual gift of "PROPHETS" (Ephesians 4:11). 

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List of spiritual gifts:
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There is evidence that the spiritual gift of "PROPHECY" (Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10) is DISTINCT from the spiritual gift of "PROPHETS" (Ephesians 4:11). For example:

1) Prophecy is describing what someone can HAVE, while prophet is describing what someone can BE. 

2) Prophecy is a FUNCTION that someone can have which may manifest spontaneously according to the need of others, while prophet would be a VOCATION to which someone's life would be centered around it.

3) Someone merely giving a prophecy WOULD NOT HAVE A RIGHT to live from it, while a prophet WOULD HAVE A RIGHT to live from being a prophet.

4) In the Old Testament, there was already a distinction between people who were PROPHESYING, and PROPHETS. 

You can find more details below:

1) Having versus being:

Prophecy is describing what someone can HAVE, while prophet is describing what someone can BE. 

In Romans 12, Paul wrote that people can be described as "HAVING different gifts" (Romans 12:6) such as "PROPHECY" (Romans 12:6). Prophecy is describing what someone can HAVE.

In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote about "PROPHETS" (Ephesians 4:11), which is describing what someone can BE. 

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Some people can be described as being spiritual gifts (apostles, prophets...):
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2) Function versus vocation:

Prophecy is a FUNCTION that someone can have which may manifest spontaneously according to the need of others, while prophet would be a VOCATION to which someone's life would be centered around it.

Paul wrote that someone can have the spiritual gift of "PROPHECY" (Romans 12:6), which a few verses earlier he compared it to having a "FUNCTION" (Romans 12:4). 

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul lists "PROPHECY" as a gift that someone can DO for the profit of others, writing: "But now, brothers, if I-come to you speaking (in) tongues, what will-I-profit you unless I-SPEAK (TO) YOU either by (a) revelation or by knowledge or BY (A) PROPHECY or by (a) teaching?" (1 Corinthians 14:6). This may manifest spontaneously according to the need of others. 

In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote about "PROPHETS" (Ephesians 4:11), which would be a VOCATION. Someone's life would be centered around this vocation, in contrast to someone having a gift of prophecy but who could have a different vocation than being a prophet. 

3) Not having the right versus having the right (to live from it):

Someone merely giving a prophecy WOULD NOT HAVE A RIGHT to live from it, while a prophet WOULD HAVE A RIGHT to live from being a prophet.

There is no explicit evidence that someone with the gift of "PROPHECY" (Romans 12:6) would have the right to live from it. 

However, there is evidence that "PROPHETS" (Ephesians 4:11) may have the right to live from it. 

Jesus said: "The (one) welcoming (a) PROPHET in (the) name (of a) prophet will-receive (the) reward (of a) prophet" (Matthew 10:41). 

Jesus draws directly on the narratives of the PROPHETS Elijah and Elisha :

1 Kings 17:8-16: The Widow of Zarephath receives the PROPHET Elijah with her last meal and water, securing an ongoing reward of oil, flour, and her son's life.

2 Kings 4:8-37: The wealthy woman of Shunem hosts the PROPHET Elisha, building a room for him. Elisha asks, “What can be done for you?” and bestows the prophet's reward of a child.

A 1st century AD Christian writing indicates that "But every true PROPHET desiring to stay with you IS WORTHY OF HIS NOURISHMENT. Likewise a true teacher is worthy also himself, just as the workman, of his nourishment." (Didache 13:1-2). 

Because this was the case in the 1st century AD, STRICT BOUNDARIES AMONG THEIR RIGHT were set in place to discern grifters. For example it was written: "concerning the apostles and PROPHETS, according to the decrees of the Gospel, in this way do: And let every apostle coming towards you be received as the lord. But HE WILL NOT REMAIN EXCEPT ONE DAY; BUT IF THERE SHALL BE NEED, ALSO THE NEXT DAY; but if he shall remain three days, he is a false prophet. But having gone out, let the apostle TAKE NOTHING EXCEPT BREAD, UNTIL WHICH TIME HE FINDS LODGING; but if he shall ask for money, he is a false prophet." (Didache 11:3-6). 

4) Pattern from the Old Testament: prophesying versus the prophets:

In the Old Testament, there was already a distinction between people who were PROPHESYING, and PROPHETS. 

It is written in Numbers 11 that: "the LORD came down in a cloud, and spoke to him [Moses], and He took from the Spirit upon him, and put (the same) upon the seventy men, the elders. Now it happened that as the Spirit rested upon them, that THEY PROPHESIED, ALTHOUGH THEY NEVER DID SO AGAIN." (Numbers 11:25). 

Here the elders merely "PROPHESIED, ALTHOUGH THEY NEVER DID SO AGAIN" (Numbers 11:25). The elders here did not become prophets, which Moses the PROPHET only 4 verses later commented on, saying: "O that all the LORD’s people WERE PROPHETS; whenever the LORD shall put His Spirit upon them" (Numbers 11:29). Moses here said that he wished that all people were made PROPHETS when the Spirit is put on them, but probably implying that it would not have been the case here as they did not prophesy again, which is why he would have wished that they had been made a prophet instead like he was, implying a distinction between merely prophesying and being a prophet. 

This provides an Old Testament precursor to the distinction between people merely PROPHESYING and a PROPHET.

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