Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Miracles in the Bible are called miracles, signs, and wonders, mighty deeds, and (certain) works. Miracles in the Bible are described by events which cannot be reproduced by nature and that are outside normal experiences (supernatural). A Biblical miracle is something astonishing, incredible, extraordinary, or unusual like the birth of a baby or barely missing an accident. And I’m not talking about the times where God works within the normal parameters of everyday life to work His will.

The examples of miracles in the Bible show the purpose for those miracles was to prove who God is – THE God, omnipotent, etc. These miracles were done by those proclaiming God’s word as proof that they were speaking the truth. Exodus 4:30, Mark 16:15-20, John 2:22-23John 3;2, John 14:10-11, Acts 4:29-32, Acts 8:5-12, Acts 13:7-12, Acts 14:2-3, Acts 15:12, Romans 15:18-19, I Corinthians 2:4-5, I Thessalonians 1:5-6, Hebrews 2:1-4. The miracles were performed so the words of the person doing the miracles would be believed by the audience.

Some say that those who speak in tongues are very spiritual. Where is the evidence of this? I Corinthians 14:6-19 emphasizes that those who did speak in tongues were not spiritually superior to others. I Corinthians 12:7-30. Some say the gift of miraculous healing is because God does not want us to suffer because we are His children. If this is the case, then what about all the first-century Christians who suffered horribly? The Christian is not spared from the same diseases, death, or tragedy to which everyone else is subjected. In fact, we are told to expect all this (I Corinthians 10:13, II Timothy 3:12, I Peter 4:12-17).

Now to this, some will say that a person won’t be healed if they don’t have enough faith. Some people were commended for their faith in the presence of a miracle (Mark 5:34). But what about dead people who were revived (John 11:44)? Their faith couldn’t have been an issue. The same can be said for people who were possessed by demons (Luke 9:42, 11:14). And for others, they just didn’t KNOW (John 9:11-12, 17, 25, 35-36, John 5:13). Sometimes the faith of the companions was cited (Mark 2:5). Paul surely had faith, but his faith did not remove his “thorn in the flesh”, his “messenger of Satan” (II Corinthians 12:7-10). Timothy had stomach problems that were not miraculously healed (I Timothy 5:23). Trophimus, a fellow worker with Paul, had to be left due to his sickness (II Timothy 4:20). Epaphroditus is an example of one who was sick “nigh unto death” (Philippians 2:27-30), yet he was not miraculously healed.

In Matthew 13:58, even though unbelief was predominant, Jesus did a few miracles there. Their continued unbelief made further miracles unnecessary. He was just practicing what he had preached in Mark 6:11 and Matthew 7:6.

Once God finished revealing all the information He wished to reveal (what we call the New Testament), the need for miraculous proof became non-existent. We can study the Bible diligently and see the miracles that were performed and know that the words spoken in the Bible are truth. We have all we need in the Bible (II Peter 1:3). To claim that we still need miracles today is to say the Bible isn’t all-sufficient (I Corinthians 1:22, II Timothy 3:16-17).

I Corinthians 12-14 was written to the church in Corinth because the spiritual gifts (speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy) were being misused. The spiritual gifts are defined in chapter 12, and it goes on to explain how miraculous gifts should function harmoniously when used correctly. Chapter 13 goes on to tell how these gifts won’t be around forever, particularly verses 8-13. 13:10 talks about when “that which is perfect” comes. Paul was contrasting quantities, incomplete and partial miraculous gifts with something that would be total and complete. This is what we have – the fully revealed Word of God. The spiritual gifts were compared to childish things in 13:11, whereas the full truth that we have today (John 16:13). We no longer have partial access to God’s Word.

The same point was made to the church at Ephesus. The gifts given by Christ (Ephesians 4:8) were to have a specific duration (4:13). Many verses in the New Testament indicate that there is ONE faith (Acts 6:7, Acts 13:8, Acts 14:22, Acts 16:5, Galatians 1:23, Jude 3). Not a whole bunch of little groups believing different things. Unity between these divisions is impossible; because the unity being called for in the New Testament is a unity of truth, not an agreement to disagree. The faith being referred to is the completed body of information that sums up Christianity – the Bible (Ephesians 4:5). Miracles lasted until “the faith” was completely revealed.

Speaking in tongues as referred to in I Corinthians 14 refers to people speaking in languages that were unknown to the person doing the speaking (I Corinthians 14:2, 4, 13-14, 19, 27). It was the ability to speak in a foreign language without having prior knowledge of the language. The people speaking were being heard in the native language of the listeners (Acts 2:9-11). All tongue-speaking was done in known human languages, not incoherent gibberish (I Corinthians 14:9-11). The “tongues of angels” as referred to in I Corinthians 13:1 is often brought up in reference to speaking in tongues that are not understood by human ears. The meaning of angel is a messenger – one who communicates a spoken message. They were God’s messengers to humans. They are always represented in the Bible as communicating in human language, and they have the ability to speak all human languages. There would be no spiritual benefit for people to talk in a different “angelic” language.

Speaking in tongues was to be a sign to unbelievers rather than believers (I Corinthians 14:22). It was to be used to confirm to them the Word of God. What people practice today is not done under those terms. In fact, when a person attends a worship service today and is skeptical of the validity of tongue-speaking, it is said that tongue-speaking cannot occur because of unbelief present. This is in direct opposition to what was taught to the Corinthians. There is also every indication that the speakers of tongues in the New Testament could control themselves. They were not overcome, babble, or flail about. They did it one at a time, not interrupting one another, and were to remain silent if no interpreter was present (I Corinthians 14:27-28, 32).

Today, those who can speak in tongues or perform any other miraculous action is said to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, or Spirit-filled. But in the Bible, just because a person could do these things did not mean he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to tell to whom John the Baptist is referring when he refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:11. But in Luke 24:49, Jesus is clearly talking to his apostles. If this verse is referring to all Christians, then likewise, all Christians would have to be personally guided “into all the truth” (John 16:13) and would have no need of the Bible (John 14:26). Acts 1:4-8 talks about how it would be soon and that it would enable them to witness to the world what they had experienced by being with Jesus. This passage quotes what John the Baptist had said previously in Matthew 3, so it’s obviously talking about the same thing. This was confined to the apostles.

Acts 2 details that it was the apostles who spoke in tongues and taught the people. The 12 apostles were the ones who were baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:7, 2:14, 2:37, 2:43, 5:12) in Acts 2. They were all Jews. Then in Acts 10, the Gentiles received this gift in the household of Cornelius. This is prophesied in Joel 2:28. Joel 2:28-29 are further fulfilled by the apostles spreading the gifts of the Holy Spirit by laying on of their hands (Acts 8:17-21, 9:10, 10:3, 10, 16:9, 21:9). Philip received his ability to perform miracles in this way (Acts 6:5-6). Paul laid his hands on the Christians in Ephesus (Acts 19:6). Timothy received his in the same way (II Timothy 1:6). There is never an example of anyone with these gifts spreading their gifts further. The only examples given of spreading these gifts are from the laying on the apostles’ hands.

The baptism of I Corinthians 12:13 refers to the baptism that adds one into the body of Christ because it says “baptized into one body…” It doesn’t say they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. They were the beneficiaries of the Spirit’s guidance or assistance. They were baptized by the Spirit, not with the Spirit.

For us today, there is “…one baptism…” (Ephesians 4:5). Water baptism is confirmed in John 3:5, Acts 18:8, Ephesians 5:26, and Titus 3:5. There are no apostles left to lay hands on anyone today. Holy Spirit baptism was unique to the apostles and the first Gentile converts and doesn’t exist today. There is no need for miraculous gifts today because we have God’s complete written Word. Divine healing, speaking in tongues, miracles, and prophecy simply do not exist today.

Holy Spirit or Feelings

I get so frustrated when people try to say the Holy Spirit is telling them to do something that is so obviously just what they want to do! I'm not saying that the Holy Spirit doesn't work in our lives, but the Holy Spirit is never going to cause someone to do something that is contrary to the Scriptures! He CAN'T. A person can feel somthing is right that isn't. Or feelings can be based on someone's like or dislike of someone else. It's even possible for someone to be past feeling (Ephesians 4:19). Our consciences can be seared so we don't feel guilt (I Timothy 4:2). Feelings can't be equated with the urgings of the Holy Spirit.

Feelings can be wrong. Look at Saul in Acts 26:9-11. He was definitely sincere, but he was also as definitely wrong. What about suicide bombers? Even I can see they are sincere. But they are still wrong.

Sometimes feelings are right. Sometimes people have a valid reason for feeling right about something. Like when we abide in the doctrine of Christ (II John 9), we can know we have the approval of the Father and the Son because God's word is reliable. If we don't abide in Christ's doctrine, we don't have God's approval, no matter how much we "feel" we do.

Feelings are so often emphasized in religious activities, particularly if a preacher is good at getting people emotional and excited. People get on an emotional high, because of their feelings. When one does God's will, that one has a right to feel right, but when one feels right apart from having done God's will, that one is dead wrong, and deceived by his feelings. What people feel in their heart is often more important to them than what God says. Have you ever heard the phrase: "I wouldn't take what I feel in my heart for a stack of Bibles as high as my head." Hmmm...

What about feeling saved? Can you just "feel" you are? Some people feel they are saved whether or not they have obeyed the gospel. I would rather die knowing! Paul says that faith comes by the hearing of God's word (Romans 10:17). If we are ignorant of God's absolute truth, then we can't know what God's will is for man. Some support homosexuality, when it is very specifically and forcefully condemned in the Bible. Some people know the truth and just don't respect it. Have you ever heard: "I know it says that, but I just don't believe it." In general, people don't love the truth (John 3:19). Can our feelings of being saved be based on a personal experience? A dream? A sign? This is not taught in the Bible at all. It doesn't matter what anyone teaches you (even your mother or a preacher) if it is not in accordance with the Bible. Some teach a salvation by faith only. In other words, all that is necessary is to believe. James said that by works a man is justified, not by faith only (James 2:24). Having been taught that faith only is all that is necesary to please God, it is easy to understand how one would feel his is saved. Even the demons believed and trembled (James 2:19). Were they saved? Where is it taught in the Bible that if you just ask Jesus to save you right where you are, you will be saved immediately? It isn't.

The Bible is very clear on salvation.

1. Faith in God (Hebrews 11:6)
2. Repentance of sins (Acts 11:30, Luke 13:3)
3. Confession of faith in Christ (Romans 10:10)
4. Baptism into Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38)
5. Live faithfully until death (Revelation 2:10)

It's very common to hear 1-3 taught, but very rarely 4 and 5. Baptism is found in every conversion recorded in the book of Acts.
It has become very popular to look for entertainment when searching for the "right church." Entertainment is all about appealing to feelings. People like that good feeling they get from being entertained. I've even heard a preacher say people should feel good about themselves. It's not bad to have good feelings, but place your faith in God's word rather than feelings that may or may not have any basis in truth.