Before we can talk about anything relative to the Bible, we have to make sure we are using the same definition, that is a biblical definition. You don’t define “baptism” by a modern dictionary. You define it by the Bible; it is a biblical word. So, also, is “miracle.”
Once God created the world, He used miracles sparingly and always in connection with His spokesman: prophet, Christ, or an apostle. The Lord struck Pharaoh with a great plague, because he took Abram’s wife to be his own (Gen. 12:17). I think that is the first miracle (after the creation and flood) which God performed in the world of men. When God intensified the use of miracles during the plagues brought on Egypt, it began with God working miracles through Moses in front of Egypt (Exo. 4:29-31). When Israel saw the miracles, they believed the message.
That is the purpose of miracles: to confirm (strengthen, or establish) the message of God’s spokesmen. This purpose holds true throughout the Bible: 1 Kings 17:17-24; John 20:30-31; Acts 13:12; Hebrews 2:3-4. Since man doesn’t need anymore information from God today, then there is no biblical reason for God to work miracles today. In fact, the Gospel message – the “Faith” – stands confirmed: Jude 3.
When God worked miracles in man’s world, He practically always worked them through His spokesmen. That is why, in the days of the early church, that God limited the ability to transfer miraculous power to only the apostles: Acts 8:14-18. In that account, Philip (a “servant” of the church in Jerusalem) could perform miracles, but he could not pass on miraculous gifts. Only the apostles could. Other than Acts 2 (when Jews first became Christians) and Acts 10 (when Gentiles first became Christians), there is no example of God sending miraculous abilities on anyone except through an apostle. It was one of their special abilities as members of the Twelve. Since we don’t have apostles in the church today, there can be no miracles today.
Finally, Paul will explicitly state in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 that miracles were going to come to a conclusion. The context of the discussion was arrogance over the use of speaking in foreign languages (“tongues”). In chapter 12, Paul points out that all miraculous gifts were given by the same Spirit for the one body. In chapter 13, Paul says that love should regulate all our behaviors. In chapter 14, Paul says that miraculous gifts should be for the building up of one another.
Now, back to 13:8-10… Paul uses three gifts which all relate to sharing divine knowledge with humanity: languages (“tongues”), prophecy, and knowledge. Paul says these are “partial” and will be “done away” and “will cease” when “that which is perfect” comes. What is “that which is perfect”? It is whatever is in contrast with “languages, prophecy, and knowledge in part”. What is that? It is the final, fulfilled revelation of the message from God: the Gospel. By the time the whole gospel was revealed at the end of the first century, with John’s letters and Revelation, then there was no more need for partial knowledge, for tongues, prophecy, knowledge or any other miraculous gift.
This does not mean God does not work. He does work! He just does not work miraculously. Give all glory to Him when something good happens.
Paul Holland
