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Many modern religionists claim the power to perform the same miracles and signs as those recorded in the Bible. Claiming and doing are two different things. Anyone can make claims and can deceive multitudes, as did Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:9–11). Jesus and the apostles did not go about claiming the power to perform signs and wonders; they just performed them. Even their enemies could not deny their authenticity (Acts 4:16).
The Bible teaches explicitly that miracles ceased with the completion of God’s revelation to men (the New Testament).
The Corinthians were abusing their miraculous powers, and Paul wrote to correct them (12:1–30). He told them that non-miraculous love was superior to their miraculous gifts (v. 31), and without it the gifts were vain (13:1–3). After personifying love (vv. 4–7), he contrasted the duration of love and of the gifts (vv. 8–13). Love would never fail, but the gifts (prophecy, tongues, and knowledge, a synecdoche for all of the gifts listed in 12:8–10) would be “done away” or “cease” (v. 8). He then states when they would cease. The gifts enabled them to know and prophesy “in part” (God revealed His will part-by-part), but “when that which is perfect” (i.e., complete—God’s completed revelation) came, the “in part” vehicles (miraculous gifts) would be “done away” (vv. 9–10). He next likened their miraculous gifts to childhood traits, which one ceases to manifest in maturity (v. 11). When Paul wrote these words, men could not see the fullness of God’s revelation (it was still being transmitted), but the fullness of that revelation would provide fullness of knowledge (v. 12). Paul followed a similar line of argumentation in Ephesians 4:7–13.
If God has finished His revelation to mankind, the gifts ceased upon its completion. His revelation is complete:
- 2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue” (emp. added).
- Jude 3b: “Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints” (emp. added).
- Revelation 22:18–19: “I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book” (emp. added).
[Note: I wrote this article for and it appeared in the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, TX, March 23, 2007].
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
