Christ, The Church, And Miracles
Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church." But Jesus did not intend to be on the spot when the foundation would be laid. Jesus would build the church through the work of the apostles (See Matthew 16:18-19, 18:18).
The apostles were told that the Holy Spirit would be sent to guide them, to teach them (John 14:16, 26, 16:13). They were told to await Jerusalem, where the foundation would be laid, until they received the power to carry out their work of building the church (Luke 24:47, see references in Isaiah 2:1-6, 28:16).
The apostles and prophets laid the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20, I Corinthians 3:10-11). They received the power to do so from the Spirit whom Christ sent (Acts 1:8).
It was essential that the apostles and preachers have divine credentials to show divine authority for what they preached. It was necessary that leaders in the churches have power for confirmation of the Word. In order to meet these needs Jesus provided for signs (miracles) to "follow them that believe" (Mark 16:17-18). Gifts or miraculous endowments were given to men by Jesus for the "perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12). The gifts ("Operations") and the "operators" who possessed them are listed in Ephesians 4:11, I Corinthians 12:28, and I Corinthians 12:4-11.
In a general review of the use of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit we note the use of tongues in Acts 2:3-4; prophecy in Acts 19:6; working of miracles in Acts 28:3; casting out demons in Acts 16-18; healing in Acts 3:7; raising the dead in Acts 9:16; signs and wonders in Acts 14:3. In I Corinthians 14 Paul discusses the use of miraculous gifts in Corinth's assembly.
There are only two cases where the gifts or powers were conferred without the laying on of the hands of apostles — Acts 2:1-6, and Acts 10:44-47. There is no instance on record of the gifts being bestowed by laying on of the hands of anyone other than an apostle.
Miracles do not appear in the New Testament without purpose or assigned reasons. The miracles appear when God's workers are declaring or carrying out God's will. The miracles accredit the workers as being sent from God and confirm their message as being of God.
Jesus considered it important that his miracles should be observed, checked and confirmed by inquirers and opponents (Mark 1:44; John 2:8, 11:42). The purpose of the recording of the Lord's miracles is said to be "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (See John 20:30-31).
The purpose of the miracle is said to be "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (See John 20:30-31).
The purpose of the miracle working power of the apostles is said to be that of "bearing them witness" — the miracles witnessed or confirmed the divine origin of the apostle's message (Hebrews 2:3-4).
None but apostles conferred miraculous gifts on others by laying on of hands. The only two times when gifts were bestowed without laying on of hands (Acts 2:1-6, Acts 10:44-47) were SPECIAL events. The facts point to the truth that none today possess the miraculous gifts of New Testament times. The apostles are not present now to confer the gifts, and they have no legitimate successors. The special events of Acts 2 and 10 have never been repeated.
The miracles were limited to a certain time or age — the age of revelation. The age of revelation was the period during which the New Testament faith was being delivered and completed. Jesus alluded to this period in John 16:13 when he told the apostles the Holy Spirit would guide them into "all truth." When "all truth" was delivered, the period of revelation was ended, the New Testament was completed and miracle working ceased. The revelation period is described in Ephesians 4:11 as the time before the unity of the faith is reached. In I Corinthians 13:9-12 Paul describes the revelation period as; (1) imperfection, (2) "in part" knowledge, (3) childhood, and (4) reflection in a poor mirror. Such passages as Jude 3, James 1:25 and I Peter 4:11 indicate the end or completion of the period of revelation.
Paul the apostle gives ample teaching regarding the cessation of miraculous gifts. In I Corinthians 18:8-13 he teaches on the permanence and superiority of love. He contrasts love with 3 miraculous gifts — prophecy, tongues, knowledge. He says these gifts would "fail" — come to an end. He describes the time of the end of the gifts as "when that which is perfect is come." The system and time of miraculous gifts is called a time of "in part." In this period the church would be as a man-mature. When this time arrived the miraculous gifts would cease. The period of "in part" was a time when "all truth" had not been delivered and collected in such a way as to be available to all. So, some who had not received all truth, were like those looking through the polished metal mirrors of the ancient world — what they saw was not a perfect, complete reflection of things.
If the "perfect" has come, the miraculous gifts have ceased. If we can see the truth "face to face" in a true picture of God's will, then the time of miraculous gifts is gone. Do not we have "all truth" in the New Testament books where we come "face to face" with divine revelation? Is not the New Testament all-sufficient, complete, perfect, safe and conclusive?
In Ephesians 4 Paul teaches on unity. In verse 3 he teaches us to keep THE UNITY of the Spirit. In verse 13, he refers again to THE UNITY in connection with THE FAITH. The unity of the Spirit was made possible by the gifts which the Spirit gave unto men and the acceptance of the sevenfold unity formula of Ephesians 4:1-6.
When Christ ascended on high he gave some to be apostles (Acts 1:2), some to be prophets (Acts 11:28), some to be evangelists (Acts 21:8), and some to be pastors and teachers. (Acts 20:19, 28) These ministering servants of Christ were endowed with miraculous powers such as listed in I Corinthians 12:4-11. The purpose of these "operations" is listed in Ephesians 4:12-13 — to prepare the saints for service and for the building up of the body of Christ. The miraculous gifts made this possible.
The word "until" in Ephesians 4:13 points to a goal to be reached. The goal to be reached is described as; (1) the unity of the faith, (2) knowledge of the Son of God, (3) a perfect man, (4) measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. When these goals are reached, the miraculous gifts which Christ gave when he ascended on high (verse 8) would cease — or they were to last only "until" the goal was reached.
What goal is represented by the four descriptions of Ephesians 4:13? The faith is the truth — the one faith. Jude tells us to contend for "the faith." The "faith" is "the truth" into which the apostles were to be guided (John 16:13). Jude speaks of it as if it had been completed. He said it was "once (for all) delivered." This indicates completeness. The "knowledge of the Son of man" is something which we obtain by studying the New Testament. The church is surely a "perfect man" now in that it manifests the wisdom of God (AZ/Kiang 3:10-11), purchased and built by Christ (Matthew 16:18, Acts 20:28), revealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 3:1-6) and established by the apostles (Ephesians 2:20). Note that we are talking of the church as a plan or system, not of members of the church among whom are many imperfections. The church has a perfect law (James 1:25), and is perfect in that everything pertaining to the nature, service and organization of the church is revealed in the New Testament. When I think of "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" I think of the glory and all-sufficiency of Christ. The church being the "fulness of him" (Ephesians 1:23), it is glorious, and all-sufficient. It arrived at this point of stature when the revelation concerning it was completed. We have this revelation in the New Testament.
The conclusion is this: If we accept the New Testament as being the complete and perfect revelation of God; if we accept the church as being God's perfect system or institution or plan; then we must accept the affirmation that the goal has been reached, that it was reached by the time the last apostle died, and, the goal being reached, the miraculous gifts have ceased. The faith was once (for all) delivered (Jude 3); the truth was confirmed (Hebrews 2:5) by the miracles; the Holy Spirit guided apostles into all truth (John 16:13) the age of inspiration and miracles came to an end.
Today we confirm and prove our preaching to be with the New Testament.
— Box 407, Poteau, Oklahoma