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The Purpose of Miracles
Just before His ascension to heaven, Jesus gave His marching orders to the apostles and promised that they would be endued with miraculous powers (Mk. 16:15-18; Acts 1:5, 8). Mark reveals that the disciples were faithful to the Captain's commands and that the Christ was true to His faithful followers: "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Mk. 16:20).
This inspired excerpt from early church history provides vital information on the purpose of miracles. Mark clearly indicates that the miracles were wrought to confirm the message of the apostles and early Christians. Carefully consider this in light of Hebrews 2:3-4: "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?"
It is of utmost importance to recognize that every time God had special
messages for man, He confirmed those messages with miracles. For
example, when God commissioned Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, He provided
Moses with miraculous abilities that confirmed that the messages to Pharaoh
and Israel were from Heaven (Ex. 4:1-9; 7:3-12:33). Additionally,
the miracles performed by Jesus confirmed the message that He was and is
God. Peter pointed out this very fact in Acts 2:22: "Ye men of Israel,
hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you,
as ye yourselves also know."
God's final message to man is the New Testament. Jude declared
this undeniable truth when he wrote that the faith (the gospel) "was once
for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). According to Jude, the
New Testament message will never have to be modified or amended; it is
perfect, complete, and finished. During its initial proclamation
and recording, miraculous signs confirmed it to be from God (see Mk. 16:20;
Heb. 2:3-4). It might be said that those miracles were God's "stamp
of approval" on the Gospel.
When that final message to man was completed, the need for miracles
ceased.
Paul foretold this very thing in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 where he stated
that the "in part" system (the miraculous manner in which God's Will was
given part-by-part) would give way to the "perfect" system (the completely
revealed Will of God).
To say that miracles still take place is to say that God is still revealing
new messages to man. To say that He is continuing to reveal such
is to put one in contradiction with clear New Testament passages such as
Jude 3 mentioned above. The fact is, God's final revelation has been
presented to man and God's stamp was pressed into it more than 2,000 years
ago. The need for miracles has ceased since the record of Jesus'
miracles and the miracles of His apostles and other First-Century followers
confirm that the New Testament message is God-approved. That message
is complete and all-sufficient. It is the whole of God's Will for
mankind and it -- including the record of the miraculous -- has the power
to produce faith in the minds of all who accept it. This is demonstrated
in John 20:30-31: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence
of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written,
that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing ye might have life through his name." Friend, the pressing
question now is, "What will you do with the miraculously confirmed word
of God?"-- Preston Silcox