Do miracles still occur today?

     Much is said in the world today regarding miracles.  Many claim to be able to perform miracles.  Does the Bible support the claims of those who have supposedly healed people of cancer, blindness, hearing impairments, and other such physical problems?  Let us examine what the Bible has to say regarding miracles.
     When Jesus began his earthly ministry, he accompanied his teachings with miracles.  He did so to show that his message was backed by authority from heaven and to prove his claims that he was the Son of God.  The miracles performed by Jesus that are recorded in the Bible are there that all who read may come to believe in him as the Son of God (Jn. 20:30-31), just as did those who were able to witness these miracles first-hand.  His mission was to establish his church (Mt. 16:18), the safe-haven for all who would have their sins washed away by his blood (Acts 22:16).  However, the establishment of the church necessitated the death of the Lord (Acts 20:28), meaning that he would not be on earth to guide the church.  This task he left to the apostles.  So that all might know that they had divine approval to guide the infant church, Jesus gave the apostles the power to perform miracles in order to confirm the words they spoke (Mk. 16:17-20).
     On the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, enabling the apostles to impart any miraculous gift necessary for the growth of the infant church to those who had become members of the New Testament church (Acts 2:38).  These gifts could only be passed on by the laying on of the apostles’ hands (Acts 8:18).  Those upon whom the apostles laid their hands could not pass on these gifts, else Philip would not have had to wait on Peter and John to come to Samaria to confer these gifts upon the new converts (Acts 8).
     Now, how long were these gifts (the ability to perform miracles) to last?  These gifts would last only as long as God’s revelation to man remained incomplete.  Paul wrote that when the perfect (complete/whole) was come (the complete revelation of God’s will to man) that which was in part (the miraculous gifts) would be done away (I Cor. 13:10).  The “perfect” is God’s word, not Jesus Christ.  Paul referred to the miraculous age as the “in part” because during that time a little revelation was given, then an explanation, and so on.  However, today, we are able to pick up the Bible and read the whole will of God.  The end of the miraculous age marked the end of the church’s infancy (Eph. 4:14), the time when all could look to the perfect, completed will of God (Eph. 4:13; I Cor. 13:10) rather that relying on these gifts.
     Those who would claim that miracles continue today are unwittingly claiming that the church is in her infancy, and has been for almost 2000 years!  Miracles are no longer necessary, because God has revealed to man all that man needs to know (2 Pet. 1:3).

     Do you have a Bible question that deserves a Bible answer?  Do you want more information about this subject?  Feel free to contact the Mabelvale church of Christ at 455-2548 or by fax at 407-0072.  We may also be reached by e-mail at mabelval@cei.net and have a web page at www.cei.net/~mabelval. On the web page you will find archives of all of the “Ask a Bible Questions” to date, as well as other items.  Also, tune into the Search television program on Sunday mornings at 8:00 on channel 4.