It can’t be denied that the apostles had signs and wonders. The apostles did what was humanly impossible by God’s power–cause the lame to walk again, open blind eyes, and even raise the dead. These are not just mere signs and wonders–these were to authenticate the apostles were truly from God with genuine miracles.
Hebrews 2:1-4
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will. (ESV)
The Apostle Paul also wrote the following in 2 Corinthians 12:11-13:
11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!
We can’t deny that signs were indeed there. However, we must take heed that the apostolic signs and wonders are just like scaffolding to aid in construction. We need scaffolding in aiding the workers to do whatever tasks are to be done. God had used the apostolic signs as a spiritual scaffolding. However, the moment that the New Testament was completed–the spiritual scaffolding were removed. Meaning, the end of the apostolic signs and wonders was necessary after the Book of Revelation was completed. It was the final book of the New Testament!
What was the purpose of the signs? 1 Corinthians 1:22 says that the Jews demanded a sign and for the Gentiles, it’s wisdom. The signs were there yet so many Jews remained in unbelief. They already saw the miracles of Jesus for 3 1/2 years and what did they do? They still continued in their unbelief and even demanded for Jesus’ death on the cross. The Jews had their signs and yet many still didn’t believe. The apostles did their signs and yet many didn’t believe.
The apostolic signs no longer exist because of one thing–all the apostles have gone to Heaven. For apostolic succession to be true, one must consider what’s written in Acts 1:21-22 which says the following:
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
Ephesians 4:11-14 also says the following about the sequence:
11 And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
The ministry of the apostles and prophets have long come to an end. Those apostles and prophets of God are up there in Heaven, waiting for the rest to arrive. The only thing left now are shepherds (pastors) and teachers to help in the building. Nobody today can qualify to be an apostle because being an apostle required the following:
Acts 1:21-22
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when He was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
In short, apostolic succession is not biblical. The Apostle Peter never commissioned people to take his place as the next Pope or even as the next pastor in Jerusalem. Peter could have never been a Baptist pastor or the Pope! Peter was an apostle and a pastor. However, we only have pastors but not apostles and prophets. Anybody claiming to be an apostle or prophet today needs to be rejected and labeled as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. For example, Pentecostal pastor, Arthur Bruce Hallman’s FMH-Child has him claiming to be a company of prophets–a clear sign that the guy is truly a quack. Reformation Online’s Patrick Scrivener is also another quack with his so-called visions. Any so-called last messenger like Joseph Smith and Felix Manalo claim to have visions–either they made up the visions or they were really visited by a fallen angel. Either way, many visions are either made up or sent by evil spirits and should be rejected either way. Many of these guys are also involved in so much scandals such as finances and sexual immorality while teaching salvation by works. They become Antinomian by action. Matthew 7:14-20 tells us that by their fruits they will be known.
Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 13:8 that some gifts will cease. Prophecies will soon pass away (and the Book of Revelation ended all prophecies so nobody is a prophet today). Speaking in tongues effortlessly will cease today. In short, the speaking of tongues in the Pentecostal or Charismatic Movement is a sham. It’s just jibberish. The apostles were given full power to understand new languages without having to enroll in any foreign language class. A polyglot doesn’t have that gift–he or she still had to study the language they mastered. The apostles mastered the languages instantaneously. Eventually, Paul left Trophimus sick in 2 Timothy 4:20. 1 Timothy 5:13 had Paul giving Timothy medical advice instead of doing a miracle healing.
So any movement that claims to still hold to apostolic signs and wonders need to be questioned. Catholicism claims to be founded in 33 A.D. yet many of its doctrines are built on taking verses out of context. The early Church was called catholic meaning universal. Ignatius of Antioch used catholic as an adjective. I’m even skeptical about the healing claims in Lourdes in France or in Fatima. I personally was once sent to a Catholic faith healer before due to my cough–it didn’t help! The Pentecostal movement’s so-called healing sessions are but shams. Why did we not see the late Tony Alamo, the late A.A. Allen, Kenneth Copeland (who got kicked out of Trinity Broadcasting Network or TBN), Benny Hinn of This is Your Day, Wilde Almeda of Jesus Miracle Crusade, and the like go to hospitals to authenticate their miracles?
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