Wonders And Miracles (Have They Ceased?) - by Richard M. Sanders

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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The article we are examining today is an astounding 5600 words. It takes the author more than 1000 words to get to the first Scripture. And he uses up more than 3100 words before he actually begins his analysis/refutation. 

Though we will delete large portions of the article, we also shall quickly cite four of the author's noteworthy statements from those deleted sections, before we jump to the point were he actually address the subject. 

First, he claims that "this doctrine" of signs and wonders is Gnosticism:

The Teachers and Promoters of this doctrine will provide the Christian with the required special Bible "Knowledge" to which other Christians are not aware. 

He makes the charge, but does not document it in any way. 

Second, he writes

The scriptural basis and evidence for this Doctrine [of signs and wonders] appears overwhelming.

This scriptural basis is never quoted or even discussed. 

Third, he writes,

The first major battle this Doctrine [of signs and wonders] encountered was whether or not the Doctrine was Scripturally correct. This battle was won sometime ago.

And once again, the author does nothing to document this assertion. 

Fourth, the author moves on to a particularly weird explanation about the letter to church in Thyatira. He begins by writing, 

The Church at Thyatira was the Signs, Wonders, and Miracles Church of its day. 

This is truly astonishing. Let's quote the entire passage: 

Re. 2:18-28 To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come.

26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations — 27 `He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’ — [Psalm 2:9] just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give him the morning star.

The reader can easily see there is no mention of signs and wonders. 

We are beginning to suspect the author is some sort of crackpot who occupies his time assembling disparate Scriptures into some sort of conspiracy theory. The impenetrable prose and long-winded explanations are designed to obfuscate and distract from the fatal flaws of his fundamental assumptions.

As we mentioned, the author expends more than 3100 words before he actually gets to his refutation. It is at that point we pick it up.

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HAVE SIGNS, WONDERS, and MIRACLES CEASED?

Reasons we know that miracles ceased because . . .

• Jesus Said So - - -
• The Apostle Paul Said So
• The Epistles Say So
• The Apostle Peter Suggests So
• Church History Suggests So

JESUS SAID MIRACLES WOULD CEASE

1) Jesus Said that Miracles Would NOT Be Characteristic of the Church Age - - -

Luke 17
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God DOES NOT COME WITH OBSERVATION; 

The Kingdom that was coming would be the MYSTERY KINGDOM of which is now called the Church age. The Kingdom of Righteousness with Jesus as the King in Jerusalem will be postponed because of the Jews' unbelief and disobedience.

21 nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

The servants of this MYSTERY KINGDOM WILL NOT declare that any special events, occurrences or MIRACLES will be happening. Instead, we know that it is the GOSPEL message which will be preached

22 Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when YOU WILL DESIRE to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you WILL NOT SEE IT.

Every Christian would like to see the Glory of the Lord manifested in their life by Signs, Wonders, and Miracles, but Jesus is saying IT WILL NOT HAPPEN ! ! !

23 And THEY will say to you, "Look here!" or "Look there!" Do not go after them or follow them.

Jesus is saying that contrary to what you will proclaim, your opponents in the Church Age will be telling YOU that special events, occurrences, or MIRACLES will be happening. You must be in the right place at the right time and equipped with the right Knowledge and the right Faith in order to experience it.

24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.

Jesus is saying that you are not to look for any such special events, occurrences or MIRACLES until HE comes again at the close of the age. This passage is referring to His Glorious Coming which is miraculous, wondrous, and glorious. Notice here that our Lord makes no mention of the coming of the lawless one, Satan, with all power, SIGNS, and LYING WONDERS. Why? Because the Children of God will not be faced with that situation - - - (Ho-boy. How does one untangle this mess? The author begins his refutation with a Scripture that isn't about miracles at all, it is about the Kingdom.

This passage starts with the Pharisees asking Jesus when the Kingdom would come [vs.20]. Jesus answers that one does not look for it because it is within [vs.21]. Jesus then turns to address His disciples, and tells them that they will want to see the time of the King of kings but will not [vs.22]. Lots of people will think they have seen Him [vs.23], but the disciples should not follow them.

Then Jesus tells them about the real event of the Last Day, when he will light up the sky when He returns [vs.24]. The author stops quoting at this point, but Jesus continues on to explain more things that will happen on the Last Day.

So Jesus' point is that there will be people who think they know where and when Jesus returns, but they are wrong because Jesus doesn't return secretly, He will be like lightning.

There is nothing here at all that has to do with signs, wonders, and miracles in the Church. But of course, that is obvious.)

THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID MIRACLES WOULD CEASE

The Apostle Paul stated explicitly that signs, wonders, and miracles, and gifts of the Spirit would not last.

1 Cor 13:10
But when that which is PERFECT is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Paul is saying that the gifts were temporary and would be done away when the "Perfect" arrived. What is the "Perfect" he is talking about? (This is the second point of the author's refutation. We discuss the "Perfect" here.)

1) THE PERFECT is what the Apostle Paul is talking about in ALL of Chapter 13 which is commonly known as the LOVE chapter

1 Peter 5:10
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you PERFECT, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

2) THE PERFECT is what the Apostle John said - - -

1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we LOVE one another, God dwelleth in us, and his LOVE IS PERFECTED in us.

1 John 4
17 Herein is our LOVE MADE PERFECT, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but PERFECT LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made PERFECT IN LOVE.

3) The Apostle John can talk about the PERFECT because - - -

John 21:20
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple (John) WHOM JESUS LOVED following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

Colossians 3:14
But above all these things put on LOVE, which is the bond of PERFECTion

If the Fist Century Church must wait until the "PERFECT" has come, then how long will the Signs, Wonders, and Miracles last? (The author hasn't established that only the first century church must wait for the "Perfect."

And we should mention that Paul is not discussing signs and wonders in 1Co. 13:8. Rather, he mentions three things: prophecies, tongues, and knowledge. These are three spiritual gifts, not signs and wonders.)

Ephesians 4

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--

16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the EDIFYING OF ITSELF IN LOVE ! ! !.

Is the Church still waiting for this capability? (Yes, it is. Every new generation of Christians must embark on the task of spiritual maturity. Every church in every age is charged with equipping the saints. 

So the author's second refutation is abandoned with a surprisingly brief and superficial presentation.)

APOSTLE PETER - GLORY NO LONGER HERE

The apostle Peter suggests that this is not the age for Signs, Wonders, and Miracles.

1 Peter 5:1
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the GLORY that WILL BE revealed:

What GLORY was Peter referring to? 

Acts 3:6
Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, RISE UP AND WALK.

At the start of the Church age, Peter was endowed with Power to manifest the Glory of God. But in 1 Peter he suggests that this is past tense and that the Glory (of Miracles) is now FUTURE. (This is the author's third point of his refutation. He contradicts Peter's statement about a future glory to be revealed by saying Peter was referring to a past tense glory. How he arrives at this conclusion is literally beyond comprehension.

The author documents his assertion by citing Acts 3:6. But that is no documentation at all, it's simply an account of Peter healing a man. The power to heal has nothing to do with the glory to be revealed.

What GLORY was Peter referring to? Peter actually answers the author's question in his epistle just a few verses later: 

1Pe. 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

This is the sad result of Scripture yanking. The author has an agenda, and various Scriptures are squished into it. He hopes that the reader will not actually consult these Scriptures themselves, because putting the verses back into their context is bad news for the author.

So we can see that there is nothing at all here regarding signs and wonders. this is not even under discussion. Peter directly tells us in verse 4 that the glory is a crown, the reward of the saints in heaven. This is so simple, unlike the author's convoluted maneuverings.

The author's refutation is now done. But it's not complete, because he listed five reasons at the start...

• Jesus Said So
• The Apostle Paul Said So
• The Epistles Say So
• The Apostle Peter Suggests So
• Church History Suggests So

...but he discussed only three. And none of the three had anything at all to do with signs, wonders, and miracles.

So out of 5600 words, only a little more than 1000 were spent on the actual topic, and they were largely wasted.

The author will continue on to his conclusion [which we will redact]. He will bring the Church of Thyatira back for another strange go-around, he will enter into an irrelevant discussion about Job, and he will also cite a couple more out-of-context Scriptures.

This embarrassing display ought to be a sobering reminder to any Christian that it doesn't require malevolence to be a false teacher. The author is sincere, but like too many of these Doctrinal Police, he has a single-minded devotion to his doctrine and will go to any length to make the Bible conform to it.) 

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