Mike Demory
Have you ever heard someone talk about the “miracle” of child birth? Or others who believe they were miraculously healed by some preacher? First of all, childbirth does not fit within the realm of the miraculous, it is a natural process created by God, and secondly, miraculous healings no longer occur. If you are one of the multitudes that believe miracles still occur, I ask that you, dear reader, please continue reading, if you really care what God has to say about it.
Members of the church of Christ believe and teach that miracles have ceased, not because they hate the miraculous, but because that is what God’s word teaches. Believe me, if God still gave men the gift to strike someone blind as Paul did to Elymas, I would be standing in line (Acts 13:8-12). But Scripture informs us that there was a purpose for such gifts at one point in history (Mark 16:20). As with all doctrinal matters, we must at all times “rightly divide” or “correctly handle” God’s inspired word (2 Tim. 2:15) in a manner that does not cause us to believe or teach anything contrary to His will. Now the issue is not that miracles are taught in the Bible, what is at issue here, is whether or not miracles apply to every generation.
When Jesus began His ministry at about 30 years of age (Luke 3:23), it was clear that God was with Him because of the miracles He performed (John 3:1-2). In fact, in Peter’s first sermon he said of Jesus, “Ye man of Israel, here these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know:” (Acts 2:22). The same would be true of the apostles, that miracles would confirm the gospel they preached originating from God, and not themselves (Mark 16:20).
Jesus promised His officially sent ambassadors that miraculous assistance would be there via the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18); which power was given them on Pentecost (Acts 1:5, 8; 2:1ff; Luke 24:49). Keep in mind that the apostle’s role in the Christian system was unique, as were the miracles they performed. As the role of the apostles was a temporary one, so were the miraculous gifts. The ability of men and women to perform certain miracles in the first century were all dependent upon the existence of the apostles. When the apostles died, so did the ability to impart miraculous gifts to others.
The word miracle comes from the Greek word dunamis which is de fined as “works of a supernatural origin, such as could not be produced by natural means.” Merriam-Websters Dictionary denotes supernatural as “an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe. What transcends the laws of nature.” In what way does the birth of a baby transcend the laws of nature? The only two births that I know of that fit this definition is the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah who were past the age of conceiving, and the birth of Christ to Mary, a Virgin. Things such as bush that burned with fire, yet was not consumed (Exo. 3:2); the Parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan River (Exo. 14:26-31; Josh.3:7-17). The Sun and Moon standing still an entire day (Josh. 10:12-14). The healing of various diseases and maladies there things no doctor could perform, but only the power of God (Luke 6:6-10; 17:11-14; John 9:1-7; Mark 6:34-44; 5:22-43; et al).
We teach that miracles of ceased, because God gave no provision for apostleship’s and miraculous gifts to continue. This is true because in the first century the only way for a person to acquire a miraculous gift was by the laying on of an apostle’s hands. Consider if you will the book of Acts, where we find the apostles being the only individuals having miraculous powers in the beginning of the Christian age (Acts 2:43; 3:1ff; 5:33). Only when we turn to Acts chapter six do we find Stephen and Phillip able to perform the miraculous (Acts 6:6, 8;5-6, 13); but only after the apostles had laid their hands upon them.
The same true of average Christians in Acts chapter eight. So, it is the case, while apostles have not existed since the end of the first century, that it is impossible for miraculous gifts to exist today. Although it may be true that certain groups claim that they have apostles in their midst, they are liars, because God’s Word tells us differently. Just as apostles were a necessity in bringing Christianity and the church to maturity, so it was with miraculous gifts.
