Are Sighns and Wonders for Today?

Allen C · Yahoo User

1. The Bible records no supernatural miracles or healings after Acts 28 (around 55-60 AD). 2. Paul told Timothy to take wine for his many sicknesses (1 Tim 5:23). Why wouldn’t Paul just heal his brother? 3. Paul departed from Trophimus and left him sick (2 Tim 4:20). Why wouldn’t Paul just heal his co-worker? 4. Hebrews Chapter 2, which speaks of signs & wonders confirming the spoken word of God, was written in the past tense. 5. Paul prayed 3 times for a healing of his fleshly ailment and was denied. God said His grace was sufficient enough for Paul. 6. Ephesians 2:20 states that the miracle-working apostles were only the “foundation” of the church. A foundation is just that - a foundation. If it continued, it would not be a foundation any longer. 7. Two later epistles, Romans and Ephesians, speak extensively about spiritual gifts. However the miraculous gifts such as tongues and healing were not even mentioned. 8. In Matt 8:16-17 Jesus healed many demon-possessed people. Matthew stated Jesus’ miracles were to fulfill what was spoken by Isaiah, not to recover good physical health. They were used as a divine demonstration that He was the Messiah. 9. Only the apostles possessed miraculous ability, and those to whom they imparted the gifts (Acts.19:6,7; Romans 1:11; 2 Corinthians 12:12). The gifts were never given to the extended church body. 10. James 5:16 states to “pray” for one another that you may be healed. 11. In Philippians 2:25-30, Epaphroditus was very ill while with Paul in Rome. He went on a 3 month journey and arrived at the point of death. There was no healing for Epaphroditus. He went on 3 more journeys over the next year to help in delivering the letter to the Philippians. He was still sick unto death. God was merciful for his own purpose in Epaphroditus’ sickness. 12. In John 9, the disciples asked Jesus why a man was born blind. Jesus said the man was born blind not because of sin but so that God’s work (salvation) would be manifest in him. The miracle healing would serve only to “illustrate” salvation. 13. John stated Jesus’ miracles were to confirm the word which He preached. He stated that he wrote about Jesus’ miracles (past tense) so that people would believe. Why would he not state that they were “still continuing” so that people would believe? 14. There is no evidence of tongue-speaking after Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians. Tongues are not mentioned in any other church nor by any other writer - neither Peter, nor James, nor John, nor Jude. 15. In 96 AD, Clement, Bishop of Rome, wrote 65 chapters and did not once mention speaking in tongues. The works of early church fathers such as Chrysostom and Augustine also indicated the gift of tongues had ceased already. 16. When speaking in tongues ceased at the end of the apostolic age, it did not reappear for the next 1850 years and subsequently became widespread with the birth of Pentecostalism around the year 1900. Speaking in tongues was virtually unheard of in the mainline denominations (Baptist, Methodist, etc.) until the 1960’s. 17. The Bible does not state there would be miracles, signs or tongue-speaking in the last days. However there is an abundance of biblical evidence which says there will be false prophets and lying wonders in the last days. (Matt 7:22-23; 24:11, 24:24, Mark 13:6; 13:22; Luke 21:8; 21:35; 2Thes 2:9-12; 1Tim 4:1, Rev 13:13-14) 18. Why did God write so extensively about speaking in tongues in only 3 chapters (1 Corinthians 12-14) of the entire New Testament? Could he be using tongues as a divine testing program for the end-times church? 19. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 states tongues shall cease ... when that which is perfect is come“. The Greek word for cease (pauo) means to stop permanently and on its own. The word perfect (teleios) means “complete”. This verse was written approximately 35 years before the completion of the Bible. Paul is stating the need for tongues would be ended. There was no further need of tongues once God’s “written” word was completed. 20. Jesus even minimized the importance of miracles when he told the 70 disciples “rejoice not” in the power of their miracles but rather that they are saved. 21. Revelation 22:18 - in the last chapter of the last book of God’s word to us, He states there is to be no more divine revelation. God is bound by his own word just as we are. He would never violate his own word. He would not want us to either.