 The
Proclaimer
Are Miracles Performed Today?
In
the first century miracles played a necessary part in convincing people to
believe and obey. After His resurrection Jesus told
the apostles to wait in Jerusalem “until ye be clothed with power from on
high” (Luke 24:49). This they did. And on the day of Pentecost the
apostles were “all together in one place . . . And they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). Being “clothed” with this power of the Holy
Spirit enabled the apostles to perform miracles. Why were such powers
necessary in the first century?
We must
remember that Jesus had charged the apostles to “Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). This commission
was great and required that the apostles preach the truth of God. When
Jesus told them He was leaving, they were concerned about this. But Jesus
tells them not to be troubled, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he shall guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). This tells us
the primary purpose for the apostles being “clothed with power from on
high”-- they were to receive, preach and record the revelation of God.
This revelation
was miraculously made known through the Holy Spirit to the apostles (Eph.
3:3-5). But the purpose of miracles did not stop there. In the same way
that Jesus proved His deity by performing miracles (John 20:31), so did the
apostles confirm this revelation through these miracles. Miracles were
essential to the revelation and confirmation of the word of God in the first
century.
But are such
miracles necessary today? Paul speaks of that time when miracles would no
longer be necessary, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when
that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away” (1
Cor. 13:9, 10). The word “perfect” in this passage means “complete.” Paul
is contrasting the time when miracles were necessary to reveal and confirm
the word of God with that time when the completed revelation made them no
longer necessary. Today we have access to God’s confirmed word in its
completed form. There is, therefore, no longer a need for miracles to be
performed today, hence, they have ceased.
Sometimes we
might think it would be easier to convince people to obey the gospel of
Christ today if we could perform a miracle to persuade them. But the fact
is, they have evidence of a multitude of miracles that have long ago
revealed and confirmed the word of God. If they are not impressed with this
evidence, they will not be moved by the performance of one more miracle.
This principle is set
forth in the story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31. You
recall that the rich man dies and goes to a place of torment. While there
he is concerned about his five brothers ending up in the same place when
they die. He pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn
his brothers. “But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; let
them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one go to them
from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not
Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the
dead” (Luke 16:29-31).
Today there are
many that claim to be performing miracles. But all such claims are false,
for God has completed His revelation and that revelation has been confirmed.
No further miraculous evidence can be given. The question now is whether we
will accept that evidence and, believing in the Lord, obey His commandments.
-- Clark Dugger
The Proclaimer
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