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4. MIRACULOUS GIFTS.- If God never interposed in the affairs of His children now, prayer itself would be
useless. We do not say that miracles have ceased, but we do say that miraculous gifts as "signs" do not belong to
the church of the one body, nor to the dispensation of the mystery. When we read of the miracles that were wrought
by Peter and Paul, and those with them during the Acts period, not even an enemy could call one miracle into
question. We have such miracles as raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, cleansing lepers, immunity from the
effects of poison, etc..
Much that passes for miracle today comes under the heading of psychology and hysteria. We are not, however,
writing to criticise others, but merely comparing Scripture with Scripture. The church at Corinth had a plenitude of
these gifts (1 Cor. 12), and Paul exercised them up to the last chapter of the Acts (28:1-9). A handkerchief even sent
from Paul effected a cure. Yet Trophimus is left at Miletum sick (2 Tim. 4:20), Epaphroditus is mourned as sick in
Philippians 2:25-27. A prescription, not a handkerchief, is sent by Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23. The reason
is not far to seek. While Israel remained as a nation before God, "signs followed" the preaching; when they were set
aside in Acts 28:23-28 signs ceased.
We find, therefore, that by trying the things that differ, such terms as "gospel" and "apostle" may imply widely
differing messages and commissions, and the absence of sign gifts are thereby scripturally explained.
No. 5
Sundry times and divers manners.
The epistle to the Hebrews opens with the following words:
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in
these last days spoken unto us by His Son" (Heb. 1:1,2).
These words contain one or two principles that are of the greatest importance to all who would seek from the
Scriptures to know the will of God for themselves:
"God ... hath ... spoken".
Unless we are assured of two things, both mentioned in this epistle, we can go no further. The one is, "He that
cometh to God must believe that He is" (Heb. 11:6), and the other is, "God hath spoken" (Heb. 1:1,2).
God has not dealt with each man individually, speaking to him audibly and personally, for such intimate
communion was broken in the garden of Eden by sin. God has spoken down the ages through the instrumentality of
men chosen by Himself:
"God ... spake ... by the prophets" (Heb. 1:1,2).
"If the word spoken by angels was stedfast" (Heb. 2:2).
"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day, etc.)" (Heb. 3:7).
The angels were instrumental in the giving of the law at Sinai (Gal. 3:19 and Acts 7:53). "The prophets" cover
every witness for God through all times "since the world began" (Acts 3:21). The reference in Hebrews 3 to "the
Holy Ghost speaking" gives a quotation from the Psalms. We have therefore, "The Law, the Prophets, and the
Psalms", the threefold title of the complete Old Testament as accepted by the risen Son of God (Luke 24:44). The
New Testament is covered by the next expression:
"God hath spoken ... by His Son".