Reforming the unreformed, Anglicanobaptacostalistictractaholics, Pentecostals,
charismatics and others who may be teachable and reformable. If not reformable, it is a new day for some
goodbyes and dissolutions of connections; if unreformable, it is a day of new
beginnings, new hellos and new associations. Now for some further instruction
from Mr. Lee.
PART VII: SUMMARY: (PSEUDO-) MIRACLES --
WHAT, WHEN AND WHY?
535. What are true miracles -- according to the infallible Word of
God?
536. Miracles terminated at the inscripturation of the Bible (till
Christ's return)
537. The apostolic offices and gifts all ceased during the
apostolic age
538. No patristic evidence that miracles occurred in the earliest
post-apostolic age
539. No patristic evidence that miracles were performed by the
early Montanists
540. No patristic evidence that miracles were performed by
second-century Montanists
541. No patristic evidence miracles were performed by
third-century Montanists
542. No patristic evidence in Eusebius that Montanists performed
miracles
543. No Post-Eusebian fourth-century evidence Montanists performed
miracles
544. No post-fourth-century patristic evidence Montanists
performed miracles
545. Patristic and subsequent evidence: miracles ceased at
inscripturation
546. Mediaeval and Reformational evidence: miracles ceased at
inscripturation
547. The Reformed Confessions of Faith: miracles ceased at
inscripturation
548. The 17th and 18th-century Puritans: miracles ceased at
inscripturation
549. Nineteenth-century Protestants: miracles ceased at
inscripturation
550. Twentieth-century Protestants: miracles ceased at
inscripturation
551. No more miracles -- yet non-miraculous 'lying-wonders' still
continue!
552. Proto-Montanism and Montanism and their non-miraculous
'lying-wonders'
553. Romanism's dreadful 'lying-wonders' during the Church's
Middle Ages
554. The beginning of the Reformation against Rome's
'lying-wonders'
555. Calvin's demolition of Rome's 'lying-wonders' and other
pseudo-miracles
556. Wollebius and the Westminster Standards warn against
'lying-wonders'
557. Post-Westminster Calvinistic Theologians warn against
'lying-wonders'
558. Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal 'lying-wonders' or pseudo-charismata
559. The birth and growth and nature of pseudo-charismatic
Neo-Pentecostalism
560. Calvinistic critique of Pentecostalism and explanation of its
phenomena
561. Broader-Christian critique and explanation of Pentecostalism
562. The ecumenizing outreach of Pentecostals and 'Catholic
Charismatics'
563. The scourge of an ecumenizing Spiritism within
(Neo-)Pentecostalism
564. Conclusions: what are true miracles -- and what are
pseudo-miracles?
565. Conclusions: true miracles terminated at inscripturation of
the Bible
566. Conclusions: apostolic offices and gifts ceased in the apostolic
age
567. Conclusions: no patristic evidence miracles continued
post-apostolically
568. Conclusions: patristic and subsequent evidence shows miracles
ceased
569. Conclusions: non-miraculous 'lying-wonders' continue till the
end of history
570. Conclusions: no more miracles but only pseudo-miracles until
history ends
ENDNOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
References to Scripture
References to Persons
References to Things
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INTRODUCTION TO MIRACLES
"The Lord will do wonders tomorrow" – viz.,
before "the manna ceased." Joshua 3:5 & 5:12."There arose
another generation...not knowing these works." Judges 2:7-10.
"Where are all His miracles which our fathers told us
about?" Judges 6:13. "Jesus...in His own country...did not do many
miracles." Matthew 13:57-58. "Miracles Jesus did in Cana.... John did
no miracle." John 2:11 and 10:41. "The Pharisees...said: 'This man
[Jesus] does many miracles!'" John 11:47.
The Biblical doctrine of miracles is certainly one of the
most difficult of all Christian
teachings to grasp. It is impossible for fallen man completely, or
even largely, to fathom miracles. Even in future glory, finite minds will still
never fully comprehend any of them. Especially right now, it is very hard for
us to understand them even adequately. Indeed, it is not easy even to formulate
our human impressions of them.
Now Holy Scripture itself clearly distinguishes the miraculous
from the non-miraculous (cf. John 2:11 with 10:41, as above).
Yet the Bible gives us no definition of miracles. The Biblical words
used to describe them, are very fluid terms. Sometimes, all of those words are
used in the Bible also to refer even to totally different and clearly non-miraculous
events.
A further problem is the relationship of supernatural miracles (on
the one hand) to
humanly-inexplicable wonders and other unusual events (on the other).
All of these come from the hand of the same God Who controls all of His
creatures and all of their actions.
It is difficult to pin-point the relationship between God's
supranatural actions (only some of which are miraculous) -- and the more complex
of His regular acts through nature. Yet it is clear that supernatural
miracles are different to humanly-unusual and relatively-inexplicable events.
Another important matter, is the need and ability to distinguish
Divine miracles from
Satanic deceptions (whether supranatural or whether just humanly
illusory). Only the former are true miracles. The latter are, at best, only
pseudo-miracles. Yet sometimes, quite a degree of discernment is needed to
distinguish the one from the other.
Trying really to understand the three-way relationship between
miracles, remarkable
events, and God's "very special providence" --
can arouse heavy human headaches.
Was God's preservation of Noah and family inside the ark, a
miracle? Were all ten of the plagues of Egypt, miracles? Is regeneration?
A final difficulty is to be found even in the very word 'miracle.'
The erudite Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Presbyterian
Theological Seminary in the middle of the nineteenth century, the Rev. Dr.
Charles Hodge, rightly pointed out: "The word 'miracle' is derived from miror,
to wonder -- and therefore signifies that which excites wonder. In this etymological
sense of the word, it may be used to designate any extraordinary event adapted
to excite surprise and rouse attention."
Twentieth-century Presbyterian Systematic Theology Professor Rev.
Dr. J. Oliver
Buswell Jr. of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis observed:
"The word 'miracle' (Latin miraculum) -- literally means a
marvelous event, or an event which causes wonder.
Some of the more important Biblical words designating miracles
are: thauma ('wonder'); pele and
tera- ('portent'); geburah and dunamis ('display of
power'); oth and semeion ('sign.')."
Imprecise word-usage especially in ordinary conversation does not
help. Compare even the true meaning of the original Greek word thauma in
Revelation 17:6 -- with the questionable English-language rendition thereof
('ad-mir-ation') even in the authorized King James Version.
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