Miracles

1
Miracles

• Source
• Purpose
• Duration

2
Were There Miracles?

• John 2030 Therefore many other signs Jesus also
  performed in the presence of the disciples, which
  are not written in this book
• John 2031 but these have been written so that
  you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
  of God and that believing you may have life in
  His name.

3
Miracle Defined

• MIR'ACLE, n. L. miraculum, from miror, to
  wonder.
• 1. Literally, a wonder or wonderful thing but
  appropriately,
• 2. In theology, an event or effect contrary to
  the established constitution and course of
  things, or a deviation from the known laws of
  nature a supernatural event. Miracles can be
  wrought only by Almighty power, as when Christ
  healed lepers, saying, "I will, be thou clean,"
  or calmed the tempest, "Peace, be still."
• 3. Anciently, a spectacle or dramatic
  representation exhibiting the lives of the saints.

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Sign (Thayer)

• Thayer Definition
• 1) a sign, mark, token
• 1b) a sign, prodigy, portent, i.e. an unusual
  occurrence, transcending the common course of
  nature
• 1b2) of miracles and wonders by which God
  authenticates the men sent by Him, or by which
  men prove that the cause they are pleading is
  Gods

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Synopsis

• Miracles and signs are the same thing
• Invoked by Jesus
• Delegated power given to Apostles
• Further delegated power to some Saints
• Discussion to follow

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Source

• John 1422-26 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him,
  "Lord, what then has happened that You are going
  to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?"
  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves
  Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love
  him, and We will come to him and make Our abode
  with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep
  My words and the word which you hear is not
  Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. "These things
  I have spoken to you while abiding with you. "But
  the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
  send in My name, He will teach you all things,
  and bring to your remembrance all that I said to
  you.

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Source

• John 1526,27 "When the Helper comes, whom I
  will send to you from the Father, that is the
  Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He
  will testify about Me, and you will testify
  also, because you have been with Me from the
  beginning.
• John 167 "But I tell you the truth, it is to
  your advantage that I go away for if I do not go
  away, the Helper will not come to you but if I
  go, I will send Him to you.

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Source

• 1Corinthians 124 Now there are varieties of
  gifts, but the same Spirit.
• 1 Corinthians 1211 .. distributing to each one
  individually just as He wills.
• Acts 21-4 When the day of Pentecost had come,
  they were all together in one place. And suddenly
  there came from heaven a noise like a violent
  rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where
  they were sitting. And there appeared to them
  tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and
  they rested on each one of them. And they were
  all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
  speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was
  giving them utterance.
• Acts 814-18 (Read with me please)

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Source

• God Christ Holy Spirit Apostles
• Apostles then could pass on the Holy Spirit
  powers to others.
• From Acts 818 we gather those who had received
  the Holy Spirit power from the Apostles could not
  pass on those powers.

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Purpose

• To Guide the Apostles
• John 1613 "But when He, the Spirit of truth,
  comes, He will guide you into all the truth for
  He will not speak on His own initiative, but
  whatever He hears, He will speak and He will
  disclose to you what is to come.

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Purpose

• As a demonstration/witness
• Acts 36-12 But Peter said, "I do not possess
  silver and gold, but what I do have I give to
  you In the name of Jesus Christ the
  Nazarene--walk!" And seizing him by the right
  hand, he raised him up and immediately his feet
  and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he
  stood upright and began to walk and he entered
  the temple with them, walking and leaping and
  praising God. And all the people saw him walking
  and praising God and they were taking note of
  him as being the one who used to sit at the
  Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and
  they were filled with wonder and amazement at
  what had happened to him. While he was clinging
  to Peter and John, all the people ran together to
  them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of
  amazement. But when Peter saw this, he replied to
  the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at
  this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own
  power or piety we had made him walk?

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Purpose

• As a demonstration/witness sin will not be
  tolerated
• Acts 51-10
• As a demonstration/witness those speaking were
  from God
• Acts 86-8
• As a demonstration/witness the Gentiles were
  welcome to access Christs blood
• Acts 101,22,34-36,44-48
• Ephesians 33-6

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A Clarifier thought

• That there were miracles in the first century is
  beyond question. They were done in some
  tremendous ways.
• Acts 1911,12 God was performing extraordinary
  miracles by the hands of Paul, so that
  handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from
  his body to the sick, and the diseases left them
  and the evil spirits went out.
• We are talking about beyond nature, beyond any
  doubt this was the finger of Almighty God

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Duration

• Now to what I am sure is the most controversial
  aspect of the miraculous powers of healing in the
  New Testament
• Was there a set time and duration for those
  powers/miracles?
• As we look at Gods word we will be able to see
  for ourselves the truth of this question

15
Duration

• 1Corinthians 138-10 Love never fails but if
  there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done
  away if there are tongues, they will cease if
  there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we
  know in part and we prophesy in part but when
  the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
• Jam 125 But the one who looks at the perfect law
  of freedom and remains committed to it-thus
  proving that he is not a forgetful hearer but a
  doer of what it requires-will be blessed in what
  he does.

16
Duration

• A closer look at Acts chapter 8
• E-Sword

17
Duration

• 85-8 Philip is preaching and doing many signs.
  There is much Rejoicing
• 89-13 Simon the miracle worker is exposed and
  converted
• 814-24 The Apostles arrive on the scene to pray
  for the disciples and lay hands on them to pass
  on the Holy Spirit
• Baptism into Jesus Christ did not bring this Holy
  Spirit blessing 816

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Duration

• 814-24 (cont)
• The method of passing on or receiving the Holy
  Spirit powers was by the laying on of hands by
  the Apostles! 818
• Now Simon was a new Christian and without proper
  understanding which is common in new converts to
  Christ
• Babes do not always have proper understanding
• Simon sinned by asking for the power to pass on
  the Holy Spirit
• Peter condemns him and he repents!

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Duration

• What can we logically deduce from these events?
• The Apostles were the only ones that could pass
  on the Holy Spirit Powers
• It was not for sale!
• When the Apostles died there was no one to pass
  on these powers.
• When those that had been given these powers died
  there was of necessity an end to these miraculous
  miracles!

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Summation

• Source
• God the Father
• Purpose
• To verify the preached words were from God
• Duration
• Until the death of the last of the disciples
  under leadership of the Apostles