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Miracles Today |
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When the apostolic era ended, so far as history goes, the signs, wonders and works of power that marked that age ceased or at least became few and far between. There were miracles of a sort during the middle ages, but these are usually considered fraudulent - bogus miracles foisted on a gullible public for the purpose of boosting the authority of the Romish Church. We cannot say too much about them because our knowledge of those times is limited. |
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However, we can speak about the present day, but first of all we may ask why miracles in a general way should have ceased. Some would point to the passage in 1 Corinthians 13 that says: "Tongues, they shall cease" (v. 8). However, it does not say all miracles will cease. It only speaks of tongues and prophecy. The point is that when the confounding of language at Babel has been reversed, then everyone will understand one another and tongues will not be necessary. One cannot conceive that language in heaven will be such that some persons will not be able to understand the language of others. Further as to prophecy, when all is fulfilled it will not be necessary. Faith, which links us with what is unseen, will give place to sight and every hope will be realised., but love which is greater will remain and will pervade all relations to eternity (see the rest of 1 Corinthians 13). |
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If it is not laid down that while the present dispensation lasts miracles will cease, why have they done so. There would appear to be at least two reasons for this:- |
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(1) The state of the public Christian body. This soon got into a low state (see the letters to the Assemblies in Revelation). The public body got broken up into sects. There were various schisms. If God allowed one particular sect to be able to do miracles and not another He would be setting his seal on that sect. If he allowed all sects to do miracles then he would in effect be saying that one sect was as good as another. The situation became such that the words of Isaiah could be applied to the Assembly: "Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he doth not hear." (Isaiah 59:1/2). |
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(2) Miracles were necessary in the very early days of the Assembly's history to establish the fact that God was working and to attest the message (Acts 15:12 and Hebrews 2:4). This is not necessary in the same way now that Christianity has been established in the earth. Neither Christ nor his apostles worked miracles for their own benefit. The apostles did not assume to be immune from the sicknesses that affected other men. Miracles were normally worked for the benefit of persons who had not yet accepted Christianity (see for example Acts 28:7- 10). If we should look today for the working of miracles we should look for them on the mission field - they would be worked by those who are taking the Gospel to the heathen. |
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Today the so-called charismatics maintain that the gifts found at the beginning of the Assembly's history are still available to us today, particularly the ability to speak with tongues and heal the sick (see 1 Corinthians 12:28-31). Generally they make the ability to speak with tongues something that is available to all Christians and call that gift the second blessing. The question is: "Do persons really receive that gift" ? This raises the question as to what language the persons are speaking in. Is it an extant human language, a new tongue (Mark 16:17) or a tongue of angels (1 Corinthians 13:1). If it is a real tongue it must have a grammar. It should be capable of being written down and a dictionary composed. I have never heard of this being |