In reading through Matthew with our church, we have seen that miracles were a very important part in confirming the truth of Jesus' messiah-ship.
No problems there...Jesus did miracles. He was/is God. That's what gods do. How did they work? What were the mechanics of healings/feedings/exorcisms? I have no idea, but that's OK, because I'm not God.
The problem springs up around chapter 10, where Jesus gives his apostles "authority" (or jurisdiction/power) to do the same things He did. What now??
OK, so we've got some humans doing miracles now to validate the heralding of the new covenant. But these guys are Jesus' hand-picked apostles, so they're way up there, as far as humans go.
To further complicate things, Paul writes about gifts of the Holy Spirit given to every believer to build up the body, some of whom are able to heal and other miraculous things.
This is a huge problem, because 1) where are they? and 2) who are they? My mind immediately goes to faith healers like Benny Hinn: big time showboating jerks who use miracles to make money. Are they for real? I suppose it's possible, but not very likely.
So where are they? Did miraculous gifts just quit after the first century? Paul seems to indicate that spiritual gifts will keep going until Jesus returns and we don't need them. The Bible never hints that some gifts will keep going and others will stop (despite what John MacArthur says).
Interestingly, most of the reports of miracles come from the mission field, where people know next to nothing about Jesus. In fact, one of the professors at my Alma Mater seminary was involved in a miracle healing around Muslims in Israel.
My preliminary opinion about miracles in America is that Americans are so "educated" and skeptical that they would not believe a real miracle if they saw it, so why should God work here where it won't pay off?
Then again, Christianity has a lot to prove among people who see it as merely an ideology and ethical system, rather than following the God of the Universe.
I myself have seen some pretty amazing "coincidences" that I would fall just short of calling miracles. Yet I find myself longing to see God REALLY work in America: not just in broad ideas, successful fundraisers, and easily answered prayers, but in actual blind-seeing/deaf-hearing/dead-raising/demon-throwing miracles.
So, does anyone out there have any real miracle stories? "I Want to Believe..."
6 comments:
okay man, that's it! i've called the secret SBC task force & turned you in as a charismatic. you'll be hunted, pistol-whipped, & bible-thumped with eisegetical sermonettes (for christian-ettes, ZINGER!).
seriously, i don't see any biblical reason to believe miraculous gifts have ceased in the church. still, i personally have too many trust issues to believe anyone who would claim to be a healer or worker of miracles.
i have the same issues with "tongues." i don't see biblical evidence that the gift has ceased, but i don't see biblical evidence for private prayer languages or chaotic services full of gibberish either. once someone tried to pray with my wife & started (pretending to) pray in tongues. my wife just said, "don't do that. i don't understand what you're saying." bingo
I sometimes wish for a little more "don't do that. I don't understand you".
Hello Andrew :)
You state,
"Paul seems to indicate that spiritual gifts will keep going until Jesus returns and we don't need them. The Bible never hints that some gifts will keep going and others will stop (despite what John MacArthur says)."
John MacArthur would argue that 1 Cor 13:8-10 is arguing for the ceasing of certain spiritual gifts, particularly tongue speaking, prophesying, and miracles. Now that "that which is perfect (in MacArthur's view, a completed Bible) has come" these gifts are no longer necessary.
Others, however, think this passage refers to all spiritual gifts coming to an end once Jesus returns.
My personal belief is that certain miracles (raising the dead, cleansing lepers, tongue speaking, etc.) were given to the apostles alone in order to demonstrate to people that Jesus had sent them and their message came from God.
I'll change my view on this issue only after I have seen someone raised from the dead :)
Hello Andrew :)
You state,
"Paul seems to indicate that spiritual gifts will keep going until Jesus returns and we don't need them. The Bible never hints that some gifts will keep going and others will stop (despite what John MacArthur says)."
John MacArthur would argue that 1 Cor 13:8-10 is arguing for the ceasing of certain spiritual gifts, particularly tongue speaking, prophesying, and miracles. Now that "that which is perfect (in MacArthur's view, a completed Bible) has come" these gifts are no longer necessary.
Others, however, think this passage refers to all spiritual gifts coming to an end once Jesus returns.
My personal belief is that certain miracles (raising the dead, cleansing lepers, tongue speaking, etc.) were given to the apostles alone in order to demonstrate to people that Jesus had sent them and their message came from God.
I'll change my view on this issue only after I have seen someone raised from the dead :)
frank,
i also think that only the apostles possessed some of the powerful gifts. that said, there is no indication whatsoever that only the apostles could speak in tongues or prophesy. in fact, 1 corinthians shows us that the larger body of the church indeed had/has these gifts, thus paul's need to instruct them.
in order for macarthur to say that 1 cor. 13 means that certain gifts have ceased, he needs "the perfect" to be the completed bible. problem - there's no way the corinthians would have understood it that way. nothing earlier in the book would hint at this. i think making "the perfect" be the bible is forcing a contemporary perspective on the passage.
Hey you guys forgot to include the most important verses regarding this matter: 1 Corinthians 13:11,12 "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known." This is clearly and obviously referring to one of two things either a. the establishment and maturity of the New Testament Church, OR b. the completion of the New Testament-- the written Word of God. Either way it is telling the Corinthians (whether they understood it or not) that the gifts were going to end when one of these things matured.
I believe that when the Word was written, the perfect had come and there was no need for spiritual gifts- they had the Bible to preach and teach from and no longer needed the gifts to give God's message to the body. They "put away childish things".
And when I say "they" I really mean God put them away for them. I believe whole heartedly in modern day miracles- God can work a miracle of any type through whomever He chooses, however, that does not qualify that person as being blessed with spiritual gifts.
Remember- these aren't just some letters some dude wrote to a church back in the day-- this is the very WORD OF GOD meant for the Corinthian church as well as the modern day Christian. 2Peter 1:20,21 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (21) For the prophecy came not in oldtime by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
Remember God "IS"- there is no past tense when God refers to Himself, so why would He inspire words to be written only for a certain group two thousand years ago? Answer: He didn't. He knew exactly what the false teachings would be in this day and age, and made it very clear through His inspiration that spiritual gifts would cease in this passage.
God bless,
jp
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