However, he had his face set like a flint towards the cross of Calvary where he was to be crucified for the sins of the world. 1 John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Let me try to illustrate what I am trying to show you. Let us suppose that you have broken some law and a policeman saw you commit this act. He drives up in a marked car that has the word POLICE prominently painted on his vehicle, he steps out of the car in uniform, that indicates he is a policeman; do you think he would show you his badge in order to convince you of his authority? Of course that would not be necessary. On the other hand if he drove up in an unmarked car, and was wearing plain clothes; the first thing he would show you would be his badge. That would show you his authority to question you or even to arrest you. Please consider that same example and remember that the message the apostles are giving to their audience has no mention of law keeping, no command to bring a burnt offering and no hint about a priest. Don’t forget, they have no scripture that they can site to authenticate their message. You can see that it would be difficult to persuade them that this new message is true. So God provided them with the power to perform signs and wonders that convinced the people to believe.

The earliest book written in the New Testament was Matthew. The date of that book has been much discussed, but no convincing reason has been given for discrediting the traditional date of A.D. 37. The majority of the other New Testament books average around A.D. 60. The three Epistles of John are dated A.D. 90 and the book of Revelation A.D. 96. That means, for several decades, scripture was not available to verify the preaching and teaching of the earlier ministers.

Now when I preach and other men of God preach; we do so with a full Canon of Scriptures. We simply cite bible verses even from other books of the bible to confirm that which we are preaching is supported by God’s word. 

These gifts are wrought by the all wise God as he sees fit. Hebrews 2:4, “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 seems quite clear to me that the Bible teaches that during a transition period from the law to grace or from law to the Church age; there would be signs and wonders that would act as proof of this message that must have been strange to all of those that worshiped God according to the dispensation that was ending.

All these gifts would end with those three exceptions; namely faith, hope, and charity. We are furthermore told when this would occur. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, “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. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”

It is absolutely clear that these sign gifts with the exception of three will cease. What then is that which is perfect that come? Of course Jesus is perfect but he had already come and had been crucified, buried, raised and returned to heaven. He will come again in the rapture. He will still be perfect. But consider what purpose would be served since all the saved will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; to tell them that certain gifts would cease and others would not cease?

There was something else that would come that is perfect and much sooner. That would be the Word of God. That is the Canon of the scriptures would be completed. That would mean, no longer will signs be needed to authenticate the truth of the preaching and teaching but the very word of God would be their authority.

The passage continues, pointing out that when one is a child they think as a child and speak as a child; but as they become an adult, they put away childish things. This goes right along with the fact that the Church is in its very beginning and required special aids to come to maturity.

A few weeks ago our pastor at Tidewater Baptist Temple, Charles Pearson brought a very good message dealing with the ceasing of tongues. I commended him at the close of the service and shared with him I was planning to write in this issue of the Circuit Rider News on sign gifts but that I would emphasize the gift of healing.

If at the conclusion of this article you think that I am saying that God can no longer heal sick people you will have missed the point. God can heal anyone he chooses to heal. Let me put it this way, I believe in divine healing but I do not believe in divine healers. I can just as emphatically say that I believe that God could give the gift of a language to a missionary to witness to a lost heathen if he chose to do so.

It is obvious that during a period in the beginning of the New Testament Church; God gave power to perform miracles to the Apostles, to the Seventy, and to different members of the Church by the power of the Holy Ghost.

It is just as obvious that these gifts would cease with the exception of faith, hope, and charity. He even tells us when they would cease and named a number of the gifts that would not cease and declared that all the rest of them would cease. 

Look at some that taught this error. The Pentecostal movement had its beginning in the early 1900’s. Aimee Semple McPherson, in her autobiography, taught that healing was guaranteed in the atonement. Gordon Lindsay, an Assemblies of God preacher, taught that it was a very serious offense to deny that divine healing is in the Atonement. A. A. Allen, Jack Coe, Oral Roberts and Benny Hinn are among the more well known faith healers of today.

In spite of the declaration of our Bible that most of the sign gifts would cease, including divine healing; many people flock to the meetings that claim to have the gift of healing.

There seems to be evidence in the scriptures that they did cease. I should have thought if the gift of healing was in use; Paul would have healed Epaphroditus that was such a help to him in the ministry, Philippians 2:25-27 We find that God spared his life but Paul had nothing to do with his recovery.

How about Trophimus? Paul left him behind because he was sick. 2 Timothy 4:20, “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.” Even Paul’s beloved Timothy was sick but there was no gift of healing. 1 Timothy 5:23, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”

Paul had a thorn in the flesh but had no gift of healing and sought healing from God but got no healing.