DECLINE OF MIRACLES

Decline of Miracles

        In Acts 5:16 "everyone" of the sick who were brought from various cities to Jerusalem "were healed" by the apostles. Twenty-five years later we find the greatest of all apostles being denied his own earnest prayer for a well body (2 Cor 12:7-9). And as we near the end, we hear him advising Timothy to take a little wine for his "oft affirmities" (1 Tim 5:23). Still later we learn that he has left another beloved worker "sick at Miletum" (2 Tim 4:20).

        No witness dies in early Acts, then Stephan is killed (7:54-59). A little later James dies by the sword of Herod (12:1-2); early Acts has one miracle after another. After Stephan-never again was there any record of a public miracle in that city called "the City of the Great King."

        At the beginning and through the recorded history in Acts there was special miraculous gifts by which Divine revelation was channeled to men. These were named by Paul as "knowledge, prophecy, and tongues" (1 Cor 12:8-10); but in the same context he warns they will cease (1 Cor 13:8). The permanent things will be faith, hope, and love (vs. 13).

        There are a few people who argue that such miracles are still present in the life of the Christian community. Some of these people are sincere, doubtless, in their determination to see what they wish to see; just as there are other people who are blind to the things they do not wish to see. These are problems for psychological rather than historical investigation.

        In the scriptures great public exhibitions of miraculous Divine power are all invariably connected with the Mediatorial Kingdom of God. They were seen at its establishment at Sinai and did not wholly cease until the departure of the Shekinah glory. Such miracles are also recorded in the Old Testament predictions of a future establishment of the Kingdom under the reign of the Messiah (Isaiah 35:1-7).

        These were present when the Kingdom was announced as immanent during ther period of the Gospels.  And their continuance in the book of Acts must be explained in the same way. They are the signs of the Kingdom given primarily as a testimony to the nation of Israel to whom in a peculiar sense the Kingdom belonged by Divine covenant, and upon whose repentance depended its immanent establishment upon earth. This was the prophets burden (Isaiah 35:1-7), also affirmed by our Lord in His earthly ministry (Matthew 11:1-5) and reaffirmed by the apostles in their testimony to Israel throughout the book of Acts (Acts 2:1-20; 43). See also Heb 2:3-4. It was also said to be tasted in Heb 6:5.

        The mracles that God through His sovereign power uses today are different in character for now they are providentially hidden.

        In the face of the inexplicable problems of human life, the mysteries of the Divine will, the apparent inequalities of Divine justice, and the human perplexity under the somber shadows of a silent heaven, the Church must walk by faith and not sight (2 Cor 5:7).

        There is nothing sinful about believing on the sense experience but a special blessing comes for those who have believed without seeing (John 20:29), who against the adverse testimony of human experience, continue to trust and believe without reserve in Him Who today is not visible (1 Pet 1:8). In the Church, God is preparing a special people, called out and tested in the crucible of adversity, who are destined to occupy the highest place of responsibility in the future Kingdom of Christ (Luke 22:29-30).

        As the period of Acts ends, we pass from the time of signs and wonders into an era characterized chiefly by the demand for unquestioning faith in the presence of a silent heaven as far as great public miracles are concerned.

        The O.T. Prophet Isaiah knew no one would be convinced by the things of power seen. "Who hath believed our report?" "And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" (The arm is always the symbol of strength.) Said Isaiah in the old days, "Who hath believed our message?" "Who has been convinced by the things of power seen?" Jesus total public ministry only saw 631 people converted. You can count them in the gospels.

        There is only one sign or display of power which brings men to believe: The sign of the cross and resurrection. Proof beyond doubt that the price was paid and accepted. Matt. 12:38-40  38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."   39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;   40 for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.   Give us a sign---this brings a complete revelation of the love of God in Christ.