HOCUS POCUS THEOLOGY

Part IIIMiracles Today

Classical Cessationism asserts that the "sign gifts" such as prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues ceased with the apostles and the finishing of the canon of Scripture. They only served as launching pads for the spreading of the Gospel; as affirmations of God's revelation. However, these Cessationists do believe that God still occasionally does miracles today, such as healings or divine guidance, so long as these "miracles" do not accredit new doctrine or add to the New Testament canon.

Some Classical Cessationists believe that the miraculous gifts can take place where the message of salvation is being propagated to a tribe or nation which is unfamiliar with the Gospel. Richard Gaffin, John F. MacArthur and Daniel B. Wallace are perhaps the best-known classical Cessationists.

Full Cessationism additionally asserts that no miracles are performed by God today. This argument, of course, depends on one's understanding of the term, "miracle." B. B. Warfield, J. Gresham Machen, F.N. Lee.

Clement of Rome - wrote a letter to the Corinthians in 95 AD discussing all of their spiritual problems. Tongues were never mentioned even though Corinth is the one place in the New Testament where tongues were apparently commonly used.

“This whole place is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer take place. And why do they not happen now? Why look now, the cause too of the obscurity has produced us again another question: namely, why did they then happen, and now do so no more?”

Chrysostom Homilies in First Corinthians, Homily XXIX, in the Nicene and Post-Nicene

Fathers 12:168

“But now that the apostles have preached the Word and have given their writings, and nothing more than what they have written remains to be revealed, no new and special revelation or miracle is necessary.”

Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, vol. 24: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John,

Chapter 14-16

Why do the epistles have little discussion about signs and wonders?

Why does Paul leave people sick (Phil 2:26-27; 1 Tim 5:23; 2 Tim 4:20)?

Why does James have the sick call the elders and not one with the gift of healing (James 5:14-16)?

Today’s phenomena not similar to NT

Where are the tongues of fire and the rushing of mighty wind as on the day of Pentecost?

Do missionaries blind their opponents as Paul did?

Do church leaders discern hypocrisy and pronounce the immediate death of members as in Acts 5:1-11?

Do evangelists amaze an entire city with miracles as did Philip (8:5-9). And then taken to another place of ministry by the Holy Spirit (vv. 39-40)

Are entire multitudes healed by merely being in the shadow of the healer (5:15)?

Do prophets give specific prophecies which come to pass soon after (11:27-28)?

Matthew 11:2–6 (ESV) 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of

the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Isaiah 35:5–6 (ESV)

5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6  then shall the lame man leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;

2 Corinthians 12:11–12 (ESV)

Concern for the Corinthian Church 11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought

to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.

Ephesians 2:19–20 (ESV) 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

Hebrews 2:1–4 (ESV)

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Matthew 19:28 (ESV) 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.