Miraculous healings in the N.T. were very much the domain of the apostles, and maybe one or two of the Apostolic Band. Notice how Luke separates the apostles from the other Christians in regard to miracles. Acts 2:43.
‘Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.’ Acts 4:32-33.
‘Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul…….and with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection.’ Act s 5:12.
‘And through the hands of the Apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.’ Paul wrote (2 Cor. 12:12),
‘Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs, wonders and mighty deeds.’ If people other than apostles could do miraculous healings, then Paul’s words are meaningless. We deduce, therefore, that miracles were restricted to the apostles (and possibly to one or two of those associated with them) and that they therefore passed away with them. This does not mean that God does not heal today. James 5:14-15, properly understood, still applies today, but there are no ‘anointed healers’ today.
Now let us consider 1 Cor. 13:8.
‘Love never fails. But whether there are prophesies, they will fail (Gk.
katargethesontai. Literally, ‘Be rendered useless’ or ‘be abolished’);
whether there are tongues, they will cease.’ This seems rather clear to me, and those who would make the text mean that prophecies will
not fail and ‘tongues’ will
not cease have the burden of evidence on them. It is suggested that prophecies and tongues will indeed disappear, but not until our Lord’s second coming. What then of faith and hope, which are said to ‘abide’ along with love?
‘Hope that is seen is not hope’ (Rom. 8:24) and
‘Faith is…..the evidence of things not seen’ (Heb. 11:1). When the Lord Jesus returns,
‘every eye shall see Him’ (Rev. 1:7) and we shall have no need of faith or hope, so they will ‘abide’ only until then. Therefore prophecy and tongues must pass away before the Second Coming. When were they to end? The answer is in verse 10.
‘But when that which is “perfect” has come, then that which is in part will pass away.’ The Greek word
teleios, translated ‘perfect,’ can also mean ‘complete’ or ‘mature’ (as it does in 1 Cor. 14:20). ‘Mature’ seems to be the best translation as Paul goes on to talk about childhood and adulthood. What he is saying is that the sign gifts were given in the infancy of the Church, but in its maturity they would not be needed and the Corinthians should prepare to leave them behind as they had the things of childhood.
There are several evidences that this is the correct interpretation. Firstly, the number of miraculous signs recorded in Acts begins to fall away after Chapter 19. Secondly, Hebrews 2:3-4 places ‘miracles and gifts’ in the past. Thirdly, 2 Peter 2:1 speaks of false prophecy in the past and false teaching in the future, suggesting that there would be no future prophecy. Fourthly, while Paul speaks of the sign gifts as being current in his letters to the Galatians, Thessalonians and Corinthians (all dated before AD 60), the references in his later epistles are all in the past (e.g. Eph 2:20; 1 Tim 1:18; 4:14). We might expect detailed instructions concerning the recognition and appointment of prophets in the pastoral letters, but we find none. The same is true of the letters of James, Peter, John and Jude. Where are the apostolic commands governing prophecy and ‘tongues’ down the ages? There are none because they fulfilled their purpose and passed away in the First Century. Moreover, there are numerous N.T. passages that warn against false prophecy (e.g.. Matt. 7:15-23; 24:24; 1 Tim. 4:1; 6:20; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1; Rev. 19:20) and none which tell us to obey true ones. Why? Because there never will be any. We are also told that,
‘the time will come when [men] will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned to fables’ (2 Tim. 4:3f). What are we to do about that?
‘Preach the word!…..Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching’ (v.2). Not a word about prophesying.
According to Deut 13:1 & 18:20, there are two ways to spot a false prophet- deviation from the word of God and accuracy of prediction. The track record of modern ‘prophets’ for fulfilment of their prophesies is roughly on par with Mystic Meg. Paul Cain, one of the ‘Kansas City Prophets,’ predicted revival in Britain in 1991 and Gerald Coates prophesied that in 1995 that Westminster Chapel under R. T. Kendall would have huge influence in the U.K. including on the government. Well, Kendall is long gone from the Chapel and nothing of the sort has happened, yet those who make such prophetic blunders do not apologize for them (not that I’ve heard, anyway) and their churches do not discipline them (death is prescribed in Deut. 13!). Instead, a new sort of prophecy has been invented- a “word from God” rather than the word of God- as though there could be a difference.
“Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” If God has spoken then it is for us to obey, not to ask if it is a Grade A or Grade B word. Yet Wayne Grudem, in his book
The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians suggests that this new ‘prophecy’ is of a lower order than Old Testament prophecy and may be less accurate. How very interesting! How much less accurate? Let us suppose 25%, and let us suppose that someone in my church stands up and gives the following prophetic word:
‘God loves this church.’ Now if this four-word prophecy can be 25% wrong then one word might be false, so the true message might be:-
‘Satan loves this church’ or
‘God hates this church’ or
‘God loves another church’ or
‘God loves this town.’
What possible benefit is there in such a ‘prophecy’? What conceivable attraction is there save in an unhealthy love of novelty and excitement? And what does God think about it? Well, as it happens, I have a ‘word from the Lord’ on the subject.
‘”Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues and says, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the LORD, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,” says the LORD’ (Jer. 23:32).
What is the matter with these modern ‘prophets’? Do they find the Bible a trifle passé? have they mastered it from beginning to end, so that they now need something more challenging? Is the Bible so thin and unsatisfying that, like Oliver twist, they need to ask for more? God forbid! Does not God’s word tell us not to think beyond what is written (1 Cor. 4:6)? The Bible has a deepness so vast and a richness so great that a lifetime is far too short to comprehend fully even a part of it.
‘”What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD. “Is not My word like a fire….and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”’ (Jer. 23:28f).
[taken from my blog:
Cessationism. Have the Sign Gifts Ceased?
