Of a truth, miracles were performed by some Christians in the first century during the writing of the New Testament, but to claim that miracles are being performed today is to claim that which no longer occurs. God Himself told us there would come a time when miracles would cease—and He also told us when.
First Corinthians 13:8-13 gives us that information. Follow along with your Bible and with the chart as these verses are considered. Love never ends – – it continues on throughout eternity (:8). Miracles were to end (:8). Miracles were referred to as that which was in “part” (:9). Miracles (the partial) were to end when the perfect came (:10). The condition of immaturity (child; see darkly; know in part) will change to the condition of maturity (man; see clearly; know fully) when the perfect comes (:11-12). Faith abides (:13) but will end in sight when one is in heaven (2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:1). Hope abides (:13) but will end when heaven is obtained (Rom. 8:24-25).
From this it is clear that miracles were to end when the perfect came. The crucial question is: What is the perfect? Could it be heaven or Jesus when He comes the second time? No, because there is a time span between the arrival of the perfect and the second coming of Christ: the miracles were to cease, but faith and hope were to continue until heaven came; furthermore, Christians could become mature at a time before heaven (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
What, then, is the perfect? The perfect is the finalized and completed revelation of the 27 books of the New Testament. Romans 12:2 identifies it as the “perfect will of God,” and James 1:25 describes it as “the perfect law of liberty.”
Thus, miracles existed at the beginning of the church for the purpose of proving that God was speaking through the men (Mark 16:17-20; John 3:2; cf., 1 Kings 18:36-39), and were to end when the revealing of God’s Will had been completed (the NT) which would enable man to become mature (v:11-12; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Miracles? Not today!
Gary Henson