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MIRACLES AND THEIR
PURPOSES
There are some
today who claim that miracles are still accomplished. But one who
studies and understands the scriptures knows that the miracles that
existed during the early days of Christianity would not always exist and
they would be done away with. Paul says "Love never fails; but if
there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are
tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away"
(1 Cor 13:8). He further states that "when the perfect comes, the
partial will be done away" (1 Cor 13:10). Miracles do not exist
today. We can see from the scriptures that miracles were worked at one
time by Jesus (John 2:11; 6:14), the apostles (Acts 4:13,16;
5:12) and the early Christians (Acts 7:8; 8:6). We can read
that John the Baptist did not perform miracles because his mission was
simply to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. "...While John performed
no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true" (John 10:41).
So what was the purpose of the miracles performed by Jesus? First
of all He performed signs to prove that he was approved of God "this
man came to Him by night, and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You have
come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do
unless God is with him" (John 3:2). Also see Acts 2:22; 9:33.
He also performed these miracles to prove that He was the Son of God.
"Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the
disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been
written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30-31).
The Gospel of John was written by John so that "all might
believe in Jesus". Jesus
performed miracles and wondrous signs so that others would believe that
He truly was the Son of God. He also performed these miracles to produce
faith (John 2:23; 11:47-48). We can see why Jesus worked the
miracles that He did, but why did the apostles work miracles?
The apostles performed miracles only to confirm the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ. "And they went out and preached everywhere, while
the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that
followed" (Luke 16:20). We see in Acts 14:3 where the
apostles were speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord "who was
bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting that signs and
wonders be done by their hands". Again, the apostles were using the
signs as a means of teaching others about Jesus, to help show others the
wonderfulness of the gospel. They did not work miracles to benefit
themselves in any way. Paul said "So then tongues are for a sign, not
to those who believe, but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign,
not to unbelievers, but to those who believe" (1 Cor 14:22). Peter
also confirms this when he says "for no prophecy was ever made by an
act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (2
Pet 1:21). If the apostles could use miracles to benefit themselves,
surely the apostle Paul would have used one to remove the thorn that was
in his flesh as we read about in 2 Cor 12:7-10. He did not
because he realized that the power he possessed was only meant to
confirm the gospel of Jesus. How did they and the early Christians
receive the power to work miracles? Christ had it from the beginning,
the apostles received it in accordance with Acts 2:1-4, and the
others received it only by the direct laying on of hands by the apostles
themselves. "Then they began laying their hands on them, and they
were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now
when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the
apostles' hands..." (Acts 8:17-18).
We can see that the miracles were given to the apostles directly by
the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and they and they alone could pass this
gift on to others by laying their hands on someone. Others that received
this gift could not pass it on because they were not
empowered to do so. Once the apostles and the ones whom they passed on
their gift to passed away, miracles ceased. They were used only to
confirm the gospel in early New Testament times.
----Richard Thetford
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