Are the miraculous spiritual gifts still at work today?
Before asking that question, we should first have a Biblical understanding of these gifts. When Jesus sent his Apostles throughout Israel, He told them to preach the Gospel. They were also to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demons.
When He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. (Luke 9:1-2)
Proclaim as you go, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. (Matthew 10:7-8)
When He later commissioned them to go into all the world, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they shared the Gospel in other tongues or languages.
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance… The crowd came together and were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. (Acts 2:4,6)
The miracles verified that the Apostles were sent by God.
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, while God also bore witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will. (Hebrews 2:3-4)
The charismatics who claim such gifts are still a regular occurrence are not producing the kinds of miracles the Apostles did.
They’re not curing diseases like cancer, diabetes or malaria.
And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. (Acts 28:9)
The lame can’t walk, the blind can’t see, the dead or not being raised.
But Paul went down and bent over [Eutychus, who was dead], and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him!” (Acts 20:10)
A person writhing on the floor is not evidence of demons being cast out.
Unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice, came out of many who had htem, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. (Acts 8:7)
As for those who claim to be prophets hearing from God, their prophecies are either bonkers, vague or don’t come true. The tongues they speak are not real phonetic languages, it’s just gibberish.
If someone went to another people group and preached the gospel in a language they never learned before, that would be speaking in tongues as it is given in the New Testament.
If you define the miraculous gifts according to the Bible, almost all the so-called supernatural manifestations of today contradict Scripture.
There are no faith healers revealing new prophecies with the gift of gibberish.
So does God not heal anymore?
Of course he does!
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let htem pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins and pray for one another that you may be healed. (James 5:14-16)
Call for the elders of the church to come pray over you and anoint you with oil. Confess your sins and pray for one another that you may be healed…
…when we understand the text!
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