Have miracles ceased?They have if we are talking about the kind of miracles performed by rosetta stone language
Jesus, the apostles, and those possessed of spiritual gifts in New Testament times.The purpose of those miracles was to confirm that the word spoken was from God himself.Such confirmation was needed.Put yourself in the shoes of those living back then.Here one comes into your midst claiming to speak for God.Is he delusional, a mad man?Is he a charlatan?Why should I give him the time of day?People speak of blind faith.The kind of faith the Bible demands of men is not blind faith but faith built upon reason based on the word of God confirmed by miracles.I believe not because I am nave and will believe anything and will buy bridges in deserts but rather because God said, "come now, and let us reason together." (Isa. 1:18 NKJV)I have done thatreasoning based on the word of God confirmed by miracles.Why was the tomb of Jesus empty the third day?Why could the Romans not find the body of Jesus?Why did they not even look for it?What profit was there to be had in preaching Jesus as did Peter and the other apostles if they knew they had stolen the body and hidden it?Was there money in it?Was there power?Was there security in doing so or danger?Why did those 12 men put their lives on the line to preach the gospel?Faith built on reasoning with the truth, a truth confirmed by the greatest miracle of allthe resurrection of Christ, is not emotionalism.The unbeliever cannot explain the empty tomb nor the lives of the apostles.The word spoken, however, would have little effect upon men in a day and age when revelation was not yet completed, indeed was just beginning to be given, without miracles accompanying it.The people living in places like Asia (modern day Turkey), Greece, and other remote locations knew nothing of Jesus originally.His life, his death, his resurrection was not broadcast over TV, all over the Internet, and was not in newspaper headlines.We have to put ourselves back in their time to understand what their situation was.When a man like Paul arrives in your village the question is who is this man?What is he talking about?The Bible thus says that after Jesus gave the Great Commission in Mark 16:15-16 the eleven "went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs." (Mark 16:20 NKJV)Paul spoke of the signs of an apostle.He said in speaking to the Corinthians, "In nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you Rosetta Stone German
with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds." (2 Cor. 12:11-12 NKJV)In his first letter to them (the Corinthians) he says of his preaching that it was, "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." (1 Cor. 2:4-5 NKJV)"Power" is a reference to the miraculous.The writer of the book of Hebrews speaks of the same sort of thing when in talking about the preaching of the gospel message by those who had heard Jesus says, "God also bearing witness (with themthe speakersDS) both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will." (Heb. 2:4 NKJV)So we clearly see the purpose behind miracles, signs, wonders, gifts of the Holy Spirit, the miraculous in general when the word was being preached to people who knew it not.The Bible also gives us a second reason or purpose for spiritual gifts in the New Testament church.After a person became convinced of the truth of the gospel and obeyed it what then?He cannot order a Bible or New Testament from Amazon or Abebooks.Not only is Amazon still over 1900 years down the road into the future but the New Testament has not yet been given in its entirety.The books were in the process of being written and delivered.How do the members of the church know how to live?How do they know right from wrong?The answer was spiritual gifts given by God for the purpose of instructing the church in righteous living.Paul says of these gifts, "the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all." (1 Cor. 12:7 NKJV)He is talking about spiritual gifts.Whatever your gift was (he gives a list of them in 1 Cor. 12:8-10, see also verse 28) it was to be used to profit everyone, not just yourself."Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel." (1 Cor. 14:12 NKJV)Edification means to build up spiritually."Let all things be done for edification." (1 Cor. 14:26 NKJV)Understanding the purpose behind miracles and spiritual gifts helps one greatly in understanding a passage written by Paul found right in the middle of his discussion of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14, a passage rosetta stone
where he declares that there will be an end to spiritual gifts not when Christ comes but before then.I refer to 1 Cor. 13:8-13."Love never fails.
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