We are studying the book of 1 Corinthians and in our study we have come to chapter 12 and the subject of Spiritual gifts. We are studying the four temporary sign gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10. These gifts are healing, miracles, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. These sign gifts appear only in 1 Corinthians. This is significant because 1 Corinthians was one of the earliest books written.
When I say that the gift of miracles was temporary, I am not saying that God doesn't do miracles today. God is still able to perform miracles and He does whatever he wants to do. He is omnipotent and sovereign. I am not attempting to put any limitations on God. We are discussing the spiritual gifts and the gift of miracles was temporary. God does sometimes work independently of the gifts.
Our text speaks about the working of miracles:
1 Corinthians 12:10 (NKJV) to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:28-29 (NKJV) And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?
The gift of miracles and the gift of healing were both special sign gifts for the single purpose of confirming God's revelation. Often the two gifts overlapped.
We must define what we mean by a miracle. We use that word quite casually today. A wife might say, "We had a miracle at our house: my husband got up from his recliner and helped me with the dishes, and he helped get the kids ready for bed." That might be out of the ordinary, but it isn't a miracle. (Some wives might argue with me because it seems as if it would take a supernatural act of God to pry their husbands out of the recliner. Men, if your wife feels that way you ought to be ashamed of yourself.) We will define a miracle this way: A miracle is a supernatural intrusion into the natural law which can have no other explanation than that God is acting.
In Elmer Bendiner's book, The Fall of Fortresses, he describes one bombing run over the German city of Kassel:
Our B-17 ("The Tondelayo") was barraged by flack from Nazi antiaircraft guns. That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a twenty-millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple. On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief said that not just one shell but eleven had been found in the gas tanks--eleven unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had been parted for us. Even after thirty-five years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn. He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer. Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them. One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually, they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling. Translated, the note read: "This is all we can do for you now."
There was no intrusion into the natural law in Elmer Bendiner's story. Circumstances can accommodate many things but a miracle can only be attributed to God. I believe in miracles because I am one. I have received the miracle of the new birth. The new birth is a supernatural act of God therefore it is a miracle.
The 10 plagues that God brought upon Egypt were miracles. The dividing of the Red Sea, the provision of manna, and quail, the entrance into Jericho, the sun standing still in the sky, the fire falling from heaven to consume the sacrifice on Mt. Carmel were all miracles too. Let's look at a miracle.
2 Kings 6:5-7 (NKJV) But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed." 6 So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. 7 Therefore he said, "Pick it up for yourself." So he reached out his hand and took it.
This is a miracle because the natural laws of gravity and buoyancy were suspended and an iron ax head floated.
The word borrowed is the Hebrew word shaw-ale' which is better translated begged. The prophet's pupil had begged the axe because he was too poor to buy one, so its loss was very painful to him. The majority of miracles recorded in the Bible were acts of mercy and compassion.
Some skeptics say that this was not a miracle but that "Elisha struck the eye of the axe with the long stick which he thrust into the river, so that the iron was lifted by the wood."
If you think about it, that would be an amazing feat.
We see many miracles in the life of Christ: turning water into wine, walking on the water, stilling the storm, feeding the five thousand, and supplying tax money from the mouth of a fish. These are miracles, supernatural intrusions into the natural laws.
In 1 Corinthians 12:10 the text reads, "to another the working of miracles..." The Greek word used here for miracle is dunamis which means power or inherent ability. It is used of works of a supernatural origin and character, such as could not be produced by natural agents and means. The Greek word here for working is energo, which means to work in, to be active, or operative. Verse six uses this word in connection with God working, and verse eleven uses it of the Holy Spirit working in the gifts. When put together dunamis and energo describe the gift as the active operation of the power of God in an individual's life, giving inherent ability to perform supernatural works.
Two other words in Scripture are used for miracle. The first word is sign which is from the Greek word semeion. Semeion is used as a token, and indication of the near presence and working of God. They are signs and pledges of something beyond themselves. The second word used for miracles is the Greek word tera, often translated wonder. It is used to indicate the astonishment which the work produces upon the beholders.
All three of these words are used in 2 Corinthians 12:12 to characterize the signs of an apostle:
2 Corinthians 12:12 (NKJV) Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs (semeion) and wonders (tera) and mighty (dunamis) deeds.
Acts 2 uses all three words in connection with Christ,
Acts 2:22 (NKJV) "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know;
These three terms are used of Christ and the apostles during the introduction of Christianity to the first century. A miracle can be described by each or all three of these words. In the strict sense miracles are to be differentiated from healing. Healings are miracles, but not all miracles are healings.
Are miracles the norm in the Bible? David duPlessis, a recognized leader in the Charismatic movement, says, "The New Testament is not a record of what happened in one generation, but is a blueprint of what should happen in every generation until Jesus comes." This reflects the view of the majority of Charismatics: what happened during the New Testament times should be the norm throughout the church's history. Many state that everything in the New Testament that was miraculous, remarkable, and characterized by supernatural manifestation should be normative for all of the church age, including today.
They do not understand that miracles are not the norm in the Bible. Miracles are not indiscriminately strewn over every page of Scripture. There are large periods of history that are without recorded miracles. There are no miracles clustered around Abraham or David. John the baptizer did no miracle although Luke 7:28 says of him "among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist"
We find miracles grouped in three great periods of history. The periods of Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Christ and the apostles. There are gaps of hundreds of years between these periods where we see no miracles.
What is the purpose of miracles in the Bible? The introduction of a new revelation brought the need of miracles to authenticate the message and the messengers. Miracles were God's testimony that those bringing in the new revelations were indeed His official representatives.
Moses introduced the Law to the newly formed nation of Israel. Miracles were given to introduce this era and to codify these new revelations to Israel. Elijah and Elisha were God's special prophets for a day of decadence in Israel's history. The worship of Baal had reached its peak. Elijah and Elisha stood for the revival of the prophetic era in an age of critical spiritual decline. Miracles such as Mt. Carmel were given by God to draw Israel back to the institution of prophecy. In Christ God became man. Obviously proof was needed to substantiate that claim. The total New Testament hangs on Christ and the apostles. Thus, in the life of Christ and the apostles miracles heralded the new revelation.
John 2:11 (NKJV) This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
John 3:2 (NKJV) This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
John 14:11 (NKJV) "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
By his miracles Christ informed the disciples who he was and the power he possessed. Miracles through the apostles proclaimed that the Almighty God was at work in the church.
Acts 5:12-14 (NKJV) And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
Jesus did three types of miracles: healing, which included raising the dead; miracles of nature, such as calming the sea, creating fish and loaves, causing fish to go into Peter's net, walking on the water. They were signs pointing to the reality of Jesus' constant claim to be God; and casting out demons.
The apostles only had the ability to do two types of miracles: healing, including raising the dead, casting out demons. As far as miracles related to nature, apart from Peter walking on the water at Christ's bidding, the New Testament does not record that anyone besides Jesus did them. Since healing and raising the dead are covered in the gift of healing and since the apostles did no miracles of nature, it seems that the gift of miracles was the supernatural ability to cast out demons. It is the gift of power over the forces of evil.
I said earlier that the Greek word that is translated in our text miracles is dunamis. Dunamis is the same word that is translated power throughout the gospels. Dunamis or power appears as the point where Jesus defeated Satan again and again. Whenever Christ spoke the word, the demons were forced to obey Him.
Luke 4:36 (NKJV) Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."
Luke 6:17-19 (NKJV) And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, 18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
I believe that the gift of miracles or power was primarily the supernatural and instantaneous ability to cast out demons, although I would not limit it to that.
Jesus entrusted this same power to His disciples as they went out on their mission for Him. We see the disciples using the gift of power on certain occasions but, by and large the apostles used this gift to defeat Satan by casting out demons.
Matthew 10:8 (NKJV) "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
Acts 5:16 (NKJV) Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Acts 8:5-8 (NKJV) Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
Acts 19:12 (NKJV) so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
The main thrust of the gift of miracles seems to be the casting out of demons. This sign gift as the others was only temporary. Once the New Testament revelation was complete the gift died out.
What about today? If this gift was temporary, how do we cast out demons? Do we need to cast out demons?
Most of the New Testament references to demon possession appear in the Gospels and represent the outburst of satanic opposition to God's work in Christ. We have no reference to demon possession after the book of Acts. In fact, we don't have much reference to it in the latter half of the book of Acts. We have no reference whatsoever to demon possession in any of the Epistles. We have no Old Testament references to demon possession either.
Demon possession seems to be something that happened only during the time of Christ and the apostles for the purpose of manifesting the power of Christ over the demon world. He affirmed that His casting out of devils showed that the kingdom of God had come to His hearers.
Matthew 12:28-29 (NKJV) "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 "Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Ray Steadman puts it this way, "The apostles very seldom mention the direct attack of Satan against human beings. There are a few instances of it, but after our Lord physically left the world there seems to be a dying down of the evidences of demonic activity. These dark powers were stirred up by his presence on earth, but to a degree this faded away after he left, so that in the epistles you do not get the same concern for demonic activity as you do in the gospels."
What about all those today who claim to be casting out demons? Do they fit the Biblical pattern? The exorcisms in the Bible concerned those clearly recognized as possessed. The signs of demon possession in the New Testament include speechlessness (Matt. 9:33); deafness (Mark 9:25); blindness (Matt. 12:22); fierceness (Matt. 8:28); unusual strength (Mark 5:4); convulsions (Mark 1:26); and foaming at the mouth (Luke 9:39).
Luke 8:27-33 (NKJV) And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. 30 Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. 32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.
Notice the supernatural strength the demon possessed man exhibited. This man had been bound with chains and fetters. But he had snapped the chains and torn off the fetters, and no one had the strength to subdue him---a remarkable demonstration of demonic power.
The exorcisms in the gospels and in Acts were not nebulous cases of the demon of drugs, alcohol, postnasal drip, or nicotine demons as we see today. In his book Diary of an Exorcist Win Worly describes a woman who was possessed by two demons, the demon of "dry hair" and the demon of "oily hair." When she would try to treat her oily hair the demon of dry hair would take over and vise versa, thus tormenting her. Does this fit the Biblical pattern?
You can blame all of your problems and all your sins on demons. You could have the demon of pornography, or lying, or stealing. This fits the trend of our day to blame our problems on someone else. We all seem to want to escape from personal responsibility. Earnest Angle is constantly helping people to quit smoking by casting out the nicotine demon. You don't need Nicoret gum or the patch, you need an exorcist. It's not your fault you smoke, it's the demons.
This view of demons that is held by many today is no different then that of the Jews of Jesus' day. Today, demon possession has been used as a courtroom defense in murder trials. The Jews of Jesus' time superstitiously believed that demons lurked at every corner. They thought they could find them in rivers, seas, and on mountaintops. Demons were blamed for toothaches, headaches, broken bones, and outbursts of jealousy and anger. In contrast to this belief, the response of Jesus and the New Testament writers is very restrained on the topic of demons.
What does the New Testament teach about dealing with demons today? Does it tell us to call the exorcist? No! Are we told to plead the blood? No! Don't reduce Christianity to a bunch of hocus pocus. Are we told to find someone with the gift of miracles? No! The New Testament teaches very clearly that the way to defeat the spiritual forces of evil is by personal holiness. No magic formula or gifted person can help you; you must walk in holiness.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NKJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints;
There is much about Satan in the letters of Paul but nowhere do you read that Christians are instructed to bind the powers of darkness, or to cast out demons, or to ascribe all the common problems of life to demonic activities.
By far the majority of the attacks of the devil against Christians are not direct but indirect. That is why they are called the "wiles" of the devil. Wiliness means deviousness, something not obvious. This indirect approach comes largely through two media or channels. One is what the Bible calls "the world" and the other "the flesh". We often hear the idea that the enemies of the Christian are the world, the flesh, and the devil as though these were three equally powerful enemies. But do we really have three enemies? Or is there only one enemy, the devil who channels his indirect approach to men are through the world and the flesh?
James 4:7-10 (NKJV) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Very simply, all we need to do is stay in a right relationship with God and Satan will stay away from us. We remain in a place of victory and power when we stay close to God. Practically speaking, Satan is defeated by our holy walk.
I don't believe that we need to worry about demon possession today. Rather, we must be concerned with the subtle attacks of Satan and his host that come through the world and the flesh in order to lure us away from God. We don't need the gift of miracles; we simply need to walk in the Spirit and not love the world.
Do we need miracles today? Are they essential to faith? Some believers think that we need miracles in order to persuade people of the truth of the gospel. They might ask, "How will people believe without miracles?" Jesus told a story to demonstrate that miracles have never been the issue for whether or not people believe.
Luke 16:31 (NKJV) "But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."
If they won't believe the Bible then even a resurrection won't persuaded them. Jesus did rise from the dead and people still didn't believe. Miracles never were the reason people came to faith. People come to faith because God gives them new life. The apostles never evangelized through miracles. They evangelized through the preaching of the Word. The miracles only confirmed the Word. Once the Word was recorded the miracles stopped because they had no reason for existing.
If we want hope, if we want an anchor, if we want something to carry us through life, it isn't miracles we need. What we need is the Scriptures:
Romans 15:4 (NKJV) For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith comes from the Word, not from miracles.
Look what miracles do for those who are hardhearted.
Hebrews 3:7-19 (NKJV) Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. 10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.' 11 So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"
The Israelites saw plenty of miracles; they had the daily miracle of manna and they still would not trust God. No people ever saw more miracles then this people and they still wouldn't obey Him. People who continually look for miracles don't have great faith, they have great doubt and they are looking for proof.
The gift of miracles or power was a temporary sign gift. It was primarily the power to deal with the demonic world. It was a sign used to confirm the truth of God's messengers until the New Testament was finished. The gift has passed away, although God still does miracles. Perhaps the greatest miracle is the Incarnation when God became man. God took on human flesh to die for the sins of all who will put their trust in Him. Those of us who have been born again have experienced a miracle. May we live in such a way that the reality of that miracle will be evident to all who we have contact with. May the goodness and love of our lives cause others to desire the miracle of the new birth, the most important miracle of all.
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