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Jesus
warned that as the end times begin, many false
prophets shall arise and deceive many (Matt. 24:11). It is not hard to
find religious groups of all kinds offering prophetic words and predictions for
the time in which we live. The twentieth century brought about the charismatic
movement with its miracle workers, tongues speakers, and prophetic utterances
which have spread from Pentecostals to Catholics. A quick look at the internet
will reveal prophetic messages on the election, world politics, and about any
other subject you would like to research. While the charismatic movement has
spread throughout evangelical churches and major denominations the Catholic
faithful still claim that Mary and other saints appear regularly to them and
bring them messages of hope and warning. Ernest Pickering wrote, “For many
years this emphasis was found primarily in smaller, fringe groups not considered
to be a part of the historic stream of conservative Christianity. However, more
recently charismatics have become prominent in many different denominational and
undenominational organizations.”1
Whereas once the great majority of churches roundly rejected contemporary claims
to supernatural occurrences, now it is more likely that someone who still
rejects them is considered out of touch, behind the times, or boorish. The
great prophetic conferences of a past generation were mostly held by
premillennial and dispensational writers and speakers who spoke of Bible
prophecies and end-time scenarios including the rapture and the second coming of
Christ as well as God’s plan for Israel. They were not self-styled prophets who
were in the business of giving new revelation but were Bible teachers who
preached the Word in its literal and plain sense. They were also men who
generally believed that prophetic and miraculous gifts ceased when the apostles
died and the New Testament was complete, and that these gifts would not appear
again until Christ returned except in a false and deceiving manner. Even great
amillennial thinkers such as Abraham Kuyper and B.B. Warfield believed that the
miraculous gifts ceased at the time of the apostles.2
This
is not to say that those who believe that the miraculous gifts ceased believe
that God does not work in our time. He still answers the prayers of His people
in ways often known only to Him. It is the miraculous gifts that were given to
men that have ceased and therefore we are not to give heed to the modern-day
prophets, tongues speakers, and miracle workers. John MacArthur writes,
I also believe that God is always operating on a supernatural level. He
intervenes supernaturally in nature and in human affairs even today. I believe
God can heal people apart from natural or medical remedies. I believe all
things are possible with God (Matt. 19:26). . . . I do not believe, however,
that God uses men and women as human agents to work miracles in the same way he
used Moses, Elijah, or Jesus. I am convinced that the miracles, signs, and
wonders being claimed today in the charismatic movement have nothing in common
with apostolic miracles. And I am persuaded by both Scripture and history that
nothing like the New Testament gift of miracles is operating today. The Holy
Spirit has not given any modern-day Christians miraculous gifts comparable to
those he gave the apostles.3
There
is no question at all as to whether miracles ever happened or that the Biblical
prophecies were real and 100% true. These are divinely inspired for us to read
in God’s Word. The only question is whether such gifts have existed throughout
the church age.
There
has been much written concerning the cessation of the miraculous gifts found in
the New Testament. The gift of prophecy is included in that group and I believe
that prophecy has ceased for the following six reasons.
God’s Offices
Paul
told the Ephesians, And he gave some, apostles;
and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers (Eph.
4:11). It is obvious that the office of apostle ceased when those men
died. The primary qualification was to have seen Jesus Christ physically after
His resurrection (Acts 1:21-22) and Jesus has not appeared on earth since His
ascension back into heaven (Heb. 10:12-13). Prophets are here coupled with
apostles as temporary gifts whereas evangelists, pastors, and teachers continued
throughout the first century and into the church age beyond. The church was
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). Robert
Saucy, long-time professor of theology at Talbot Seminary, explained:
While Christ is the only foundation, the apostles and prophets are also in a
certain respect foundational. The building is built ‘upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets’ (Eph. 2:20). Although some interpret this as the
foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the appositional sense is
preferred. The foundation is the apostles and prophets, both of whom are seen
as chief gifts to the first-century church (Eph 4:11). Their position is due to
the fact that they were recipients of foundational revelation of God. The New
Testament prophets were instrumental in God’s immediate instruction to the
primitive churches before the canonical revelation was complete. Although
foundational, the prophets were subordinate to the apostles (1 Co 14:37), who
received the permanent revelation preserved in the Scriptures.4
Hebrews 2:3-4 gives a clear delineation of the position of those men who
possessed these gifts. How shall we escape, if
we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the
Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them
witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the
Holy Ghost, according to his own will (Heb. 2:3-4). Notice the three
generations mentioned here. Christ (first) spoke the message and then (second)
that message was confirmed by those who heard Him i.e. apostles and prophets.
Then (third) that message was received by “us.” Since Hebrews was written just
before 70 A.D. and since this confirmation is specifically in the past tense (a
first aorist verb), this writer was already recognizing the temporary nature of
the miraculous gifts.
This
transference of the miraculous nature of prophecy can be likened to Jesus
breaking bread for the five thousand and giving it to the apostles. They, in
turn, served the waiting multitude with the miraculous gift which they received
at the hands of Jesus. The miracle, however, stopped there. It was the
people’s privilege to eat and enjoy but not to create bread. Paul reminded the
Corinthian church of this when he wrote of himself,
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought
among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds (2 Cor.
12:12). We praise the Lord for building the church with these offices,
but we do not tempt the Lord by insisting that we must have these offices.
God’s Gifts
The
miraculous gifts that were given to the church in the first century can be
broken into two categories of sign gifts and revelatory gifts. The sign gifts
were those that served as signs, most often to the Jewish people who had and
were rejecting their very Messiah. For the
Jews require a sign ( Cor. 1:22). Paul also said,
Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them
that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them
that believe not, but for them which believe (1 Cor. 14:22). Clearly
tongues served as a sign gift to unbelievers whereas prophecy served as a
revelatory gift to believers.
A
major passage involving these two kinds of gifts is 1 Cor. 13:8-10.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be
prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether
there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy
in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part
shall be done away. These verses say that prophecy and knowledge
(supernatural knowledge such as inspiration) will fail, vanish away, and be done
away. These three expressions (as well as “put away” in vs. 11) are all
translated from the same Greek word, katargeō, which means to render useless or
unproductive. The verse also says that tongues will “cease,” which comes from
the word, pauō, meaning to stop.
Also
significant are the tenses and voices of these verbs. Prophecy and miraculous
knowledge are said to fail in the future (tense) and will be acted upon by an
outside force (passive voice). Tongues, however, will stop (future tense) of
themselves (middle voice). This means that tongues came to an end, probably by
70 A.D., when the need for a sign to Israel no longer existed. Prophecy (and
knowledge), however, was brought to an end by the coming of “that which is
perfect.” The question of what this “perfect” thing is becomes very important.
If this is something in the first century, then this verse clearly says that
prophecy was brought to an end at that time.
Pickering concludes,
The phrase ‘that which is perfect’ (1 Cor. 13:10) means ‘the final thing, the
completed thing.’ Neither the context nor the language would seem to support
the concept that Paul referred to Heaven or the future glorified state. The
phrase is the culmination of a logical argument, moving from the temporary and
partial revelation to permanent and complete revelation. Revelation is the Key
thought, not glorification.5
Roland
McCune also concludes:
Since ‘that which is perfect’ is in intended contrast with the partial or
incomplete revelatory process (cf. 1 Cor. 13:10 with v. 9), and since it is the
cause of the doing away of that which is ‘in part’ (1 Cor. 13:10), the ‘perfect’
most naturally would refer to the completed process of revelation in the New
Testament canon.6
Therefore, God’s miraculous gifts to men ceased during the first century by the
time the New Testament was completed. Prophecy was no longer needed. As Peter
wrote, We have a more sure word of prophecy (2
Pet. 1:19).
God’s Providence
A
third reason prophecy does not exist today is the testimony from history. The
last miracle in the Bible occurred in 58 A.D. When Paul was marooned on the
island of Melita, he healed Publius and many more on that island. The rest of
the first century, in the scriptures and in the churches, is silent regarding
miracles. Prophecy and knowledge (inspiration) alone continued until John put
the final period on the book of Revelation. Since then history has been silent
regarding these revelatory gifts. Thomas Edgar wrote,
The entire controversy exists because the miraculous gifts of the New Testament
age did cease and did not occur for
almost 1,900 years of church history and certainly have not continued in an
unbroken line. Questions about their presence today as well as differing
opinions, even among charismatics, regarding the nature of tongues, prophecy,
and certain other gifts are due to the fact that they ceased. Chrysostom, a
fourth-century theologian, testified that they had ceased so long before his
time that no one was certain of their characteristics.7
Even
when miraculous gifts were claimed by certain groups or individuals, these were
unanimously considered unorthodox. MacArthur remarks about the gift of tongues,
“All of those supposed manifestations of tongues were identified with groups
that were heretical, fanatical, or otherwise unorthodox. The judgment of
biblically orthodox believers who were their contemporaries was that all those
groups were aberrations.”8
It is
at least strange that if miraculous gifts are so vital to the life of the church
that they are absent from the church’s history. Though charismatics claim that
these are part of a “latter rain” of the Holy Spirit, it must be remembered that
the New Testament also warns of deception in the last days. The false prophet
who empowers the antichrist will manifest them abundantly (Rev. 13:13-14).
—To Be Continued—
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