If you believe the gifts of the Spirit died out with the Apostles, why do you believe that?

Question

I was wondering if you could help me to understand your view on this. I believe that the gifts of the Spirit operate in the church today, and have seen so much evidence that it's true, such as people giving me prophetic words that were so accurate and helped me in my relationship with God (they also did not go against the Bible, for those of you wondering about deception - sometimes it is just a verse in Scripture that someone feels the Lord has given them for me, and I know without a doubt that I needed to hear it at that time).

Anyway, I really just want to understand why people believe the gifts (such as tongues, prophecy, etc) died out. I'd also like to know where you got this information. It would be really helpful for me to understand this point of view on spiritual gifts.

Thank you.

Answer 1

I believe as you do, but I hope I can help answer your question, since I have also inquired as to why some Christians reject the active gifts of the Spirit today.

First, they believe supernatural signs were necessary to validate the apostle's message. The examples used are of Jesus when John wanted to know if He was the Christ (Matt. 11:3-5). Also, when Christ commissioned the disciples He empowered them for service (Luke 10:9; Acts 1:8). Since according to them there are no more apostles because no one qualifies by the prerequisites given in Acts 1:21-22, then there are no apostles today - hence, no more spiritual signs to validate are needed.

Secondly, I Cor. 13:8 is used as proof that spiritual gifts will be done away with when that which is perfect has come. This "perfection" is assumed to be the Bible. However, a closer examination of verse 8 shows that it also says knowledge will also cease. It is apparently obvious that knowledge has not ceased. but is on the rise. Also, it says that we shall see Him face to face, therefore a better interpretation of that which is perfect is Jesus Christ, not the completed canon. Spiritual gifts are for today, not only for the apostles but whovere believes (Mk. 16:17; I Thess. 5:20; I Cor. 14:31). God Bless You.

Answer 2

I am not going to state reasons as it would take up way to much room, but I want to reccomend a book. The Charismatics by John MacArthur. If you want to learn more make sure to study both sides. It is a very good book. I am still undecided as far as the topic goes but I think I am leaning more towards them ceasing.

I believe miracles still happen, but God directly provides the miracle. He doesn't use a person to do it. Even if I did believe that He still uses men to heal, I don't believe the healing evangelists today. I believe most if not all are frauds. There have been many cases where many people have been claimed to have been "healed" by these people. The only problem is I know several people that have gone to these things been touched or hit with a jacket and have died of cancer or whatever it is

Jesus and even the apostles healed things that were visual to everyone. Blindness, hemmoraging, leprosy, paralysis, extremities gone. He healed people instantaneously, and he healed them 100%. Even raised people from the dead.

Jesus never accepted a penny, nor required anyone give it for healing people and neither did the disciples. People found Jesus as Lord and Savior because of that gift.

As you can see, I am very passionate about this particular subject, but I have family members being exploited by these people and it frustrates me.

anyway, I just reccomend that book. It goes into a tremendous amount of detail. You have obviously heard the perspective you now believe, so just look at the other side, and decide fromt there.

Answer 3

I think John Winston, Desmonar, Steve and Pastor give a pretty general picture of the argument. It is called being a 'cessationist' (the belief that some gifts (not necessarily all) have ceased. The idea of knowledge ceasing in 1 Corinthians 13, does not refer to all knowledge, but the specific gift of knowledge, which implies the gift of revelation. Most Christians agree that the kind of revelation that produced the Bible has ceased.
While I no longer insist on the cessationist view, I will say that 'tongues' as I have seen it practised (and I have seen it first-hand in a number if different places and situations) doesn't seem to have anything to do with the gift of tongues in the Bible. I believe that God does heal miraculously, even though it does not seem to be in such a frequent way as in the New testament times. I noticed that at the beginning of every new period of revelation (the law with Moses, the prophets, then Jesus' ministry, and then the apostle) there seems to have been an abundance of miraculous happenings, seemingly in order to authenticate the new revelations.
I have had the experience of praying for a man in the hospital who only had, according to the surgeons, about 6 hours to live at the most, and yet he lived, and became quite healthy. The doctors and hospital staff were stunned (and yes, so was I!). But I agree with the person who doesn't have confidence in public healers. Did you noticed that neither Jesus or the apostles ever invited people to come to them for healing? He healed, and they laid on hands for healing, but they didn't invite people for that purpose. They just did it naturally in the course of their ministry, in most cases (but not all) in response to specific requests.

Answer 4

Jesus gave his apostles the power to transfer this gift to others by the laying on of hands. A close examination of these gifts in the New Testement reveals that those who ministered like Philip were not able to do miralces until he had the hands of the apostles laid on him. The people who had the laying on of hands by the apostles did not have the power to transfer this to others. See the story of Simon the sorceror in Acts chapter 8. He became a Christian and wanted the power to give people power by the laying on of his hands and read what Peter said to him.

First corinthians promises the gifts would fade away. What people do today is no where near what the apostles or the early church did. Tongues today is no more then extactic utterance experienced by those outside Christianity also. Bible tongues was the ability to speak a forien language without having been taught. See acts chapter 2.

Miracles today are a conterfiet of the bible miracles. If they were the same then we would see the dead raised and cripples walk without limping and falling. The dumb would speak and the bilnd would see. No where in the world are these things occurring now.

the only logical explaination is when the apostles died there was no one left to transfer this power and when all of those died who had the gift by the laying on of hands the miralces ceased.

In Second thessalonians 2: 9 Paul says that the coming of the lawless one will be with false signs, wonders and conterfiet miracles. How can those today know if their miracles are real? If they are the same as the bible. Dead people come back to life after riamortise sets in. Limbs like hands and feet grow back. People blind at birth recieve 20/20 site. If their gifts do not stand up to the bible example then it is safe to say they are false or counterfeit.

As a pagan we speak in excastic utterance from time to time, but we know it comes from withinside our own psyche. I spent many years in churches that practice these things and one reason I went to paganism is I realized the true origin of the modern practise of such things.

Answer 5

Because..If Prophecies were still around this would clash with Revelation 22:18,19 to never add anything to God's word..whether spoken or written.Years ago I was in a small Pentecostal Church and a man claiming he had the gift of prophecy stood and claimed that the world would end within 3 years(This was in 1992)..It never happened so it proved that this man was not speaking for God(Deut.18:20-23)The Bible is sufficient for all good works and there is no more prophecy or tongues(1 Cor 13:8,2 Tim 3:16)God bless.

Answer 6

When the first century Christians spoke in tongues, they were speaking in the same language of the country they were preaching in. This was done to aid those who did not believe in the Kingdom message to be able to understand the message in their own language. On the day of Pentecost, there were people present (in Jerusalem) from "every nation under heaven". So many languages were being spoken that each person present heard his own language being spoken, so no interpretation was needed. But this was not the case in Corinth (1 Corinthians 14). When the local Christians in Corinth gathered together and a person began to speak in a language that he did not know, the others in Corinth didn’t understand the language either. It therefore needed to be interpreted. The tongues spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14 were the same as the tongues spoken of in Acts 2. Both were languages. What was the Biblical Purpose of Tongues? 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 tells us--"In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not." This passage tells us the biblical purpose for tongues. "Tongues are for a sign". This is not for believers but for unbelievers (a sign to unbelieving Jews)
Is the Gift of Tongues Still in Existence Today? No--1 Corinthians 13:8 says--"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." All the special gifts of telling prophecys, speaking in tongues(languages), and special knowledge were to end. When were they to cease? Tongues were to cease when their purpose had been fulfilled. The purpose was as a sign to the unbelieving Jews who had rejected their Messiah, that God’s judgment would come. Once this judgment came, the purpose for tongues would be fulfilled and tongues would cease.When did this happen? It was the year 70 C.E. The Jews rejected and killed their Messiah, and God sent judgment in 70 C.E by allowing the Roman armies to destroy Jerusalem.

Answer 7

We all receive some sort of gift FROM GOD, but he does NOT give super natural gifts anymore, that was all done away with when all the12 apostles died, all these people that are telling you that they have this supernatural power, are deceiving you. They DO NOT HAVE IT. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. The 12 got it full measure like Christ did so they could carry on with his work at the time, If these people that tell you this were right, then we would ALL have it and won't that be a mess?? God is no respecter of persons if he gave it to them, then he would give it to you and me also.. DON'T BELIEVE IT,,,, IT IS OF THE DEVIL, don't fall for this false doctrine.

Answer 8

Why aren't more miracles done to convert people to Christianity?


"When only a miracle leads a person to acknowledgment of God and to adoration and piety, he acts from the natural and not the spiritual man. For a miracle infuses belief by an external and not an internal way, thus from the world and not from heaven. The Lord enters man by an internal way, by the Word and by doctrine and preaching from it. As miracles close this way, no miracles are done today" (Divine Providence n. 131).


Man is not brought by external means to think and will, thus to love and believe what pertains to religion, but the man brings himself and compels himself to do so. Self-compulsion is not contrary to rationality and freedom. (Divine Providence n. 129).


"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."


-- Rev. 3:20 KJV


Miracles do not induce faith. "That miracles are of this nature can be clearly established from those performed in the presence of the people of Judah and Israel. Although they beheld many miracles in the land of Egypt and later at the Red Sea and others in the Wilderness and particularly on Mt. Sinai when the Law was promulgated, nevertheless, in a month's time while Moses tarried on that mountain, they made themselves a golden calf and hailed it as Jehovah who had led them out of the land of Egypt (Ex 32:4-6). Again, it is plain from the miracles done later in the land of Canaan; nevertheless the people fell away time and again from the prescribed worship. It is equally plain from the miracles which the Lord did before their eyes when He was in the world; yet they crucified Him. (Divine Providence n. 132).

Answer 9

The holy Priesthood of God died, or was taken from the earth, with the death of the apostles. Because of the great apostasy, there was no one worthy of receiving the Priesthood. Therefore it was taken from the earth. bible scripture tells us that it would be restored to the earth in the ladder days and so it has been. I am a holder of that priesthood and can trace my line of authority right back to Peter, James, and John, Christ's Apostles.

Answer 10

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 has the Apostle Paul saying such gifts would pass away.
Some powerful works, seemingly positive, can be done by Satan himself
2 Corinthians 11:14.
Jesus said imposters would do powerful works, using his name.
Matthew 7:22,23.
These days, the main way to know someone is operating under God's spirit is to note their personality ...Galations 5:22,23.