Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit by M Eddlemon 
                                         (adapted from Leroy Brownlow)

Many religious bodies affirm today that they speak by inspiration and perform miracles. Were the miraculous gifts to continue through the centuries or were such gifts to terminate at the accomplishment of a certain work? Are the same miraculous signs and wonders which were  performed by Christ and His Apostles present today - occurring through believers? 

      The Purpose of miracles by Christ

To establish the claim that he was the Son of God - If there had been no miraculous signs accompanying his work, men would have no assurance that he was the Son of God. The power to perform miracles stamped Christ's work with a divine seal. 

John 3:2 "We know that you are a teacher come from God for no man can do these signs that you do except God be with him." 

John 10:37-38 "Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

John 20:30-31 "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in His name." 

Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know."

To demonstrate His authority as the Son of God – "And they were astonished at his teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." "And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves saying, what new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him"  Mark 1:22,27 

 *If the mission of Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God was to be effective, it was essential that the Lord’s absolute authority be established. To further validate His claim, we see Him exercise His authority in a variety of ways: 

• Authority to forgive sins - Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12

• Authority over physical elements - Matthew 14:15-21, 17:24-27, John 2:1-11, 21:1-14

• Authority over the forces of nature - Matthew 8:23-27

• Authority over the laws of nature - Matthew 14:22-23

• Authority over diverse diseases - Matthew 9:20, John 4:46-54, 9:1-41

• Authority over death - Matthew 9:18-26, John 11:1-45

• Authority over spiritual forces - Luke 10:1 17-18, Matthew 12:28-29, Luke 11:20-22,
  Mark 1:21-28

Note: In the cases of miraculous healing, the purpose was not to alleviate human suffering from the earth, but rather:

• To act in compassion and

• In demonstration of His authority and the powers of the world to come where there would be no more sickness or death.

Example: All those whom Jesus healed eventually fell ill again and died. All those whom Jesus raised from the dead (including Lazareth) eventually died again.

If God healed the faithful every time they were ill, they would never die.

*See Wayne Jackson's article - Demons: Ancient Superstition or Historical Reality?
                  http://www.apologeticspress.org/rr/rr1998/r&r9804a.htm

Purpose of miracles by the Apostles - To confirm the word of the Lord which was spoken by them.  "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." (Mark 16:20)

By Inspiration - Because there was no written New Testament, it was necessary that the first preachers of the gospel be inspired of God to know what to say to declare the whole council of God without error AND to provide assurance to the hearers that what the Apostles were teaching was from God. In keeping with the needs characteristic of the beginning of the gospel, they were promised the baptism in the Holy Spirit that they might speak and write infallibly to carry out the work begun by Jesus.

Note: No one today could write a document and submit it to the church as inspired or scriptural to be added to the New Testament canon.

• The Holy Spirit would speak through the Apostles - Mark 13:11

• The Holy Spirit would teach & bring to memory all Jesus had taught them - John 14:26

• The Holy Spirit was to bear witness of Christ - John 15:26

• The Holy Spirit was to guide them into ALL truth - John 16:13

• The Holy Spirit would clothe them with power - Luke 24:48-49

Note: The Spirit spoke both to and through the early disciples: (ie warned, advised, prophesied and directed) ..... For what purpose? To establish or build the Lords' church.

By Signs, Wonders, Miracles and Gifts - These signs were to accompany the preaching of the 
true gospel by the Apostles to authenticate the message for the purpose of establishing the church.  

Hebrews 2:3-4 "This salvation which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will".

Acts 14:3 “So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.”

 II Corinthians 12:12 “The things that mark an apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great perseverance.”   

Acts 8:6 “When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.”

Acts 8:13 “Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.”

Question: Are ALL these confirmations present today. IF NOT - WHY NOT?  
(See Operation of the Gifts of the Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12)

• Healing  

• Miracles  

• Prophecy  

• Diverse Tongues  

• Interpretation of Tongues  

• Word of Knowledge

• Word of Wisdom

• Faith

• Discerning of Spirits

Note: Corinth was a congregation that did not lack any spiritual gift. (1Corinthians 1:4-7)

Question:  What did those at Corinth have that we do not have today?

Answer:   They had the Apostle Paul living there with them for a period of one year and 
                 6 months! (Acts 18:11)

Is it any wonder that they fell behind in NO gift? 

Qualifications for an Apostle:  

1) Must be chosen of God - unlike a disciple (follower) who chooses to follow Christ, an Apostle was hand picked or chosen by the Lord Jesus.  John 6:70, Acts1:24, Acts 9:15

2) Must be a witness of His resurrection -  "Therefore of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the Baptism of John to the day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."  Acts 1:21-22

"After that, He was seen by James and then by all the Apostles. Then last of all, He was seen by me also as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the Apostles, who am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God."  1 Corinthians 15:7-9

 3) Must have the credentials -  “The things that mark an apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great perseverance.”   II Corinthians 12:12

Miracles Performed By The Apostles:

Acts 2:43 "Everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles."

Acts 5:12 "The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people."

• Large crowds were healed and evil spirits were cast out - Acts 5:15-16

• Peter heals a man crippled from birth - Acts 3:1-8

• Paul raises Eutychus from the dead - Acts 20:9-12

• Handkerchiefs and aprons touched by Paul cures the sick and possessed - Acts 19:11-12

• Peter raises Dorcus from the dead - Acts 9:39-42

• Paul casts an evil spirit out of a slave girl - Acts 16:17

• Ananias & Sapphira were punished with death - Acts 5:1-11

• Miracles and wonders done by Barnabas and Paul among the Gentiles - Acts 15:12

Miraculous Gifts Transferred By Apostles Only - Through the laying on of hands.

The power to bestow the miraculous gifts of the Spirit was unique to the apostles. Only the apostles enjoyed this honor, and those who received these gifts could not transfer them to others.

The Samaritans received the miraculous gifts of the Spirit through two apostles.

Acts 8:14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:18-19 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laving on of the apostles' hands he offered them money [ 19] and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 

Note: Why not Philip who had done many signs in their midst? (Acts 8:5-8)
Answer - Since he was not an apostle, he could not!

Philip received this miraculous power by the laying on of apostolic hands (Acts 6: 1-6)

Paul conferred this power on twelve men he baptized.

Acts 19:5-7 “On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all."

2 Timothy 1:6 “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laving on of my hands.”

Miracles performed by those upon whom the Apostles Laid Hands.

• Philip casts out evil spirits and heals many paralytics and cripples - Acts 8:6-7

• The Spirit took Philip away and he appeared again at Azotus - Acts 8:39-40

• Stephen does great miracles and wonders among the people - Acts 6:8

  The Expiration of Miraculous Power - I Corinthians 13

When the last of the apostles died and those on whom they had placed hands died, the miraculous gifts of the Spirit ceased after the completion of the work for which they were given; namely: the revelation and confirmation of the complete will of God.   

The miraculous signs performed by Jesus and His apostles were obvious to all. 
Acts 2:22, Acts 5:12-16, Acts 26:26 They were not done in secret and their occurrence was un-questioned, only wrongly accredited to dark forces. 

Miracles are self-authenticating. They do not require faith - merely observation. The question of whether miraculous gifts are employed by men today is not answered by alleged cured back pains, whiplash, headaches and other un-documentable cases always occurring out of view and requiring faith. The mere fact that the issue is even debated is proof positive that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit are NOT in operation today.

Miracles do not REQUIRE  faith, they PRODUCE  faith - by simple observation!

• When the church grew beyond its infancy to full maturity, childish things were put away.
  

• There is no need therefore for signs today unless one has a new revelation to confirm.
  

• To claim supernatural power today is to say the bible is not complete.

God is looking for FAITH  today!  

Accordingly, He will NOT do anything to violate the "CONDITIONS FOR FAITH"  in our lives.  

For that which is -SEEN - is no longer of -FAITH -

"But without FAITH, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) 

"Jesus said to him, (Thomas) because you have seen Me, you have believed.  Blessed are those who have NOT seen and yet have believed."  John 20:29

"...When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth"  Luke 18:8

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."  1Peter 1:8-9

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