The Cessation Of Miracles

IV. The Cessation of Miracles

A. When the last apostle died, the ability to impart miraculous power (or, miraculous endowments of the Holy Spirit) ended.

Conferring miraculous gifts was a uniquely apostolic ability.
With the final confirmation of the New Testament (as the word of God)–AND–With the deaths of the apostles:
- a. The purpose of miracles had been accomplished..
- b. The means of granting miraculous power was no longer available–AND–
- c. Miraculous empowerment ceased!

B. Since there was no longer any need or means for such endowments:

As would be expected, there were no further claims of miraculous power.
It was not until several centuries had past that certain misguided individuals began professing such power for themselves.
- a. There is, of course, no historical evidence that their claims were valid.
- b. Furthermore:
  - (1) If they possessed miraculous powers, why had not anyone else during all those interviewing years?
  - (2) Why the huge gap in time between the true Biblical miracles and these later professed powers?
That no such claims had been made since Biblical times is strong evidence that the more recent ones (and those of today) are fraudulent.

C. In addition–If such modern claims were true:

The miracles could not be for the same purpose as New Testament miracles, nor could the power have been received in the same way as New Testament miracles.
God would have had to change both the purpose of miraculous gifts and the method of conferring them.
- a. But–God does not change!
- b. Cf Mal. 3:6
  - Cf Heb. 13:8
  - Cf James 1:17
Modern claims of miraculous power must, therefore, be rejected as false!