Have Miraculous Gifts Ceased? I Corinthians 13:8-13

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Introduction:

1. One of the most confusing questions in religion today has to do with the subject of miracles.

2. Almost every television or radio program that has a religious emphasis will teach that miracles are an active part of today’s Christianity.

3. I believe the Bible teaches that miraculous gifts have ceased.

4. Why the difference?

I. First I need to define miracles.

A. By miracle I do not mean all works of power that God might and does do, I most certainly do believe that God is at work in the world.

1. I and many others call God’s work that stays within the recognized laws of nature, providence.

2. Consequently I do pray, believing that God hears and will answer providentially.

B. I do also understand that according to English dictionaries, the word miracle does have a meaning that can apply to events that are highly unusual, yet not acting over the basic laws of nature.

1. Therefore, when someone calls something a miracle, I understand that they may simply mean what I mean by the word providence.

2. I do not debate with those with whom I merely differ semantically.

C. Nevertheless, I do believe that there is a work of God that is above my understanding of how nature functions, and I call this kind of work a miracle.

1. I believe in this sense of the word that miracles have ceased.

2. My basis for this belief is rooted in the Holy Spirit’s teaching in the Scriptures relative to a special kind of work that would cease at the close of the Apostolic Age of the first century.

D. I do not believe that God is incapable of working miracles, but that He has revealed that He would not do so in these Post Apostolic times.

II. The Evidence For This Belief.

A. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would lead the Apostles into all things, and all truth (John 14:16-18, 26; 16:13).

1. It is important that we understand to whom Jesus intended the words of the Scriptures just cited.

2. We must rightly divide or accurately handle the Bible to determine to whom words are spoken (II Timothy 2:15).

a. In I Kings 3:11-13 a special promise is made of unsurpassed wisdom—but it is a promise spoken to Solomon, not to all men.

b. In Acts 16:6 there is an injunction against preaching the gospel in Asia—but the prohibition was for Paul, not all men, and for a limited time, not for all time.

3. The words of John 14:16-18, 26; 16:13 were for the Apostles.

a. The promise included that the Apostles would not forget what Jesus had said to them—we were not alive during Jesus’ ministry and thus He said nothing to us directly.

b. Therefore all things and all truth came in the lifetime of the Apostles.

4. The Apostles’ ministry contributed to the foundation or initial work of the Church Age (Ephesians 2:20).

5. They were told to wait for the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem and then preach the gospel throughout the world—they received the Spirit and then began to preach (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:1-4).

6. Through them the faith was once for all delivered (Jude 3).

B. Miracles were a special sign to confirm the work of the Apostolic Age.

1. The miracles confirmed the commission of the Apostles and were given through their hands (II Corinthians 12:12; Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:3-4).

2. Only the Apostles could impart miraculous gifts.

a. For a time they were the only ones performing miracles (Acts 2:43; 3:1-10; 5:33).

b. When Philip the evangelist, a man the Apostles imparted gifts to (Acts 6:5-6) preached in Samaria he worked miracles (Acts 8:5-6, 13), but he had to call on Apostles to impart them to others (Acts 8:15-17).

c. Simon, the one time sorcerer, saw that it was through the Apostles hands that miracles were bestowed (Acts 8:18).

C. The miraculous gifts were to cease when their purpose was complete (I Corinthians 13:8-13; Ephesians 4:11-16).

1. Prophecy (miraculous pronouncements, Acts 2:17), tongues (languages given miraculously, Acts 2:5-12), knowledge (miraculous knowledge, I Corinthians 12:8), would all cease when they completed their work (I Corinthians 13:9-10).

2. These gifts would cease, but faith hope and love would abide (I Corinthians 13:13).

a. The gifts, therefore, were designed to cease before Jesus returned, since faith and hope would end at Jesus’ Second Coming.

b. The perfect was simply the completion of Jesus’ promise to His disciples in John 14:26; 16:13.

c. The gifts were part of a process that went from a partial knowledge to the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

3. When the unity of the faith (the faith as a unit) was realized, the miraculous work of the Apostolic Age would cease (Ephesians 4:13).

a. This must be referring to a first century event since the church was to be given no additional instruction beyond the all things and all truth given the Apostles.

b. To go beyond Apostolic teaching was to be accursed (Galatians 1:8-9).

c. The Scriptures supply everything we need to do every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).

d. The Bible has long since been complete—since the first century.

e. The miracles of the Apostolic Age both revealed and confirmed the truth God had promised to give (Hebrews 2:3-4).

D. Practical considerations.

1. The miracles of Jesus and the Apostles would fully heal large crowds instantly (Matthew 4:23-24; 8:16; 14:14; Acts 5:16; 8:7).

a. Do people go into hospitals today and heal everyone?

b. Even Jesus’ strongest critics could not dispute His healing where is the indisputable evidence today?

2. Additionally,……

a. Where are the dead being raised?

b. Where are thousands being fed from a few scraps of food?

c. Who is walking on water?

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10/05/2012

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I Corinthians 13:8-13

Introduction:

1. One of the most confusing questions in religion today has to do with the subject of miracles.

2. Almost every television or radio program that has a religious emphasis will teach that miracles are an active part of today’s Christianity.

3. I believe the Bible teaches that miraculous gifts have ceased.

4. Why the difference?

Body:

I. First I need to define miracles.

A. By miracle I do not mean all works of power that God might and does do, I most certainly do believe that God is at work in the world.

1. I and many others call God’s work that stays within the recognized laws of nature, providence.

2. Consequently I do pray, believing that God hears and will answer providentially.

B. I do also understand that according to English dictionaries, the word miracle does have a meaning that can apply to events that are highly unusual, yet not acting over the basic laws of nature.

1. Therefore, when someone calls something a miracle, I understand that they may simply mean what I mean by the word providence.

2. I do not debate with those with whom I merely differ semantically.

C. Nevertheless, I do believe that there is a work of God that is above my understanding of how nature functions, and I call this kind of work a miracle.

1. I believe in this sense of the word that miracles have ceased.

2. My basis for this belief is rooted in the Holy Spirit’s teaching in the Scriptures relative to a special kind of work that would cease at the close of the Apostolic Age of the first century.

D. I do not believe that God is incapable of working miracles, but that He has revealed that He would not do so in these Post Apostolic times.

II. The Evidence For This Belief.

A. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would lead the Apostles into all things, and all truth (John 14:16-18, 26; 16:13).

1. It is important that we understand to whom Jesus intended the words of the Scriptures just cited.

2. We must rightly divide or accurately handle the Bible to determine to whom words are spoken (II Timothy 2:15).

a. In I Kings 3:11-13 a special promise is made of unsurpassed wisdom—but it is a promise spoken to Solomon, not to all men.

b. In Acts 16:6 there is an injunction against preaching the gospel in Asia—but the prohibition was for Paul, not all men, and for a limited time, not for all time.

3. The words of John 14:16-18, 26; 16:13 were for the Apostles.

a. The promise included that the Apostles would not forget what Jesus had said to them—we were not alive during Jesus’ ministry and thus He said nothing to us directly.

b. Therefore all things and all truth came in the lifetime of the Apostles.

4. The Apostles’ ministry contributed to the foundation or initial work of the Church Age (Ephesians 2:20).

5. They were told to wait for the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem and then preach the gospel throughout the world—they received the Spirit and then began to preach (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:1-4).

6. Through them the faith was once for all delivered (Jude 3).

B. Miracles were a special sign to confirm the work of the Apostolic Age.

1. The miracles confirmed the commission of the Apostles and were given through their hands (II Corinthians 12:12; Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:3-4).

2. Only the Apostles could impart miraculous gifts.

a. For a time they were the only ones performing miracles (Acts 2:43; 3:1-10; 5:33).

b. When Philip the evangelist, a man the Apostles imparted gifts to (Acts 6:5-6) preached in Samaria he worked miracles (Acts 8:5-6, 13), but he had to call on Apostles to impart them to others (Acts 8:15-17).

c. Simon, the one time sorcerer, saw that it was through the Apostles hands that miracles were bestowed (Acts 8:18).

C. The miraculous gifts were to cease when their purpose was complete (I Corinthians 13:8-13; Ephesians 4:11-16).

1. Prophecy (miraculous pronouncements, Acts 2:17), tongues (languages given miraculously, Acts 2:5-12), knowledge (miraculous knowledge, I Corinthians 12:8), would all cease when they completed their work (I Corinthians 13:9-10).

2. These gifts would cease, but faith hope and love would abide (I Corinthians 13:13).

a. The gifts, therefore, were designed to cease before Jesus returned, since faith and hope would end at Jesus’ Second Coming.

b. The perfect was simply the completion of Jesus’ promise to His disciples in John 14:26; 16:13.

c. The gifts were part of a process that went from a partial knowledge to the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

3. When the unity of the faith (the faith as a unit) was realized, the miraculous work of the Apostolic Age would cease (Ephesians 4:13).

a. This must be referring to a first century event since the church was to be given no additional instruction beyond the all things and all truth given the Apostles.

b. To go beyond Apostolic teaching was to be accursed (Galatians 1:8-9).

c. The Scriptures supply everything we need to do every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).

d. The Bible has long since been complete—since the first century.

e. The miracles of the Apostolic Age both revealed and confirmed the truth God had promised to give (Hebrews 2:3-4).

D. Practical considerations.

1. The miracles of Jesus and the Apostles would fully heal large crowds instantly (Matthew 4:23-24; 8:16; 14:14; Acts 5:16; 8:7).

a. Do people go into hospitals today and heal everyone?

b. Even Jesus’ strongest critics could not dispute His healing where is the indisputable evidence today?

2. Additionally,……

a. Where are the dead being raised?

b. Where are thousands being fed from a few scraps of food?

c. Who is walking on water?

Conclusion:

1. My belief in the cessation of miracles is on solid Bible ground.

2. God is still at work on earth and in the church, but I am convinced that what I have defined as miracle is no longer a part of the Father’s plan.