One point that truly needs to be made last week while discussing Miracles. Miracles have a purpose. Today, if we listen to people there seems to be no purpose in miracles. They would say that they are done at different times for different reasons. But what sayeth the scriptures? What does the Bible say about this matter?
First, let us deal with the purpose of miracles. Miracles were to confirm the word. Mark 16:20 reads, “They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” Hebrews 2:3-4 reads, “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 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?” These two passages state that the purpose of miracles was to confirm what the apostles taught.
There was not the written New Testament at the time these men were preaching and teaching. So how could one tell if these men were from God? Miracles! That is the plain and simple answer. Paul had to defend his apostleship. Some were saying that he was not truly an apostle, but he answers all of his objectors. “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in sings, and wonders, and mighty deeds” (2 Cor. 12:12). Paul had done miracle in their presence; this showed that his message was from God! Also, Acts 8:18 makes it plan, “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given he offered them money.” Did you read and understand that passage? It was through the laying on of the hands of the apostles’ was the Holy Ghost was given. Paul could pass the Holy Ghost on the others, therefore he was an apostle.
The Word did not always needing confirming. Read 2 Timothy 4:20, “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.” Why did he leave this individual sick? Read Philippians 2:25-27, “Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that he had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick night unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” Why was this man not healed? Two other men in the New Testament that had ailments that were not healed were Paul and Timothy. Paul had some thorn in the flesh, and Timothy had stomach troubles. Why were these men not healed? There was nothing to confirm!
In every case that has been stated these men believed already. They did not need to word confirmed to them. They knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Son of God. They did not need that word confirmed.
Today, we do not need miracles to confirm the Word. Why, you might ask, that would be a good question. Those miracles that we have recorded for us in the New Testament are still doing the same job today as they were back then. Those same miracles are still confirming the Word of God today. Those miracles, when studied, are still proving that the message the apostles’ spoke is from God.
Remember that miracles are not just extraordinary events. They are that but they are so much more. A miracle is also the setting aside of the laws of nature. People are healed today. It takes time to recover from sickness or surgery. When a miracle was preformed, during the days of miracles it, the person was healed instantly. There was no waiting on the healing process it was done right then! There are other cases that could be dealt with but these are enough to show my point.
Miracles were to prove that the messenger was from God. If all believed that he was then there was no need to proving that fact.
We need to keep this in mind as we study this important Bible subject. Many times we might be jaded by what we are seeing and hearing in the religious world around us. We cannot let that happen. The Bible is our source of authority in matters of religion. We are to check out all things with the Bible. If someone tells us something that does not sound right, check it out. Study that subject to see if it is what the Bible has to say or not. Then if the Bible says it believe it with all your heart. But also make sure that it is within the context of the truth of the Bible. Someone might take something out of context and have the Bible saying something it never intended to say. Keep studying, Love, Keith
