When God called Moses in Exodus 3 to appear before Pharaoh in order to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage, Moses had fears and excuses for not going.  With each excuse Moses gave, God provided the adequate reasons and resources for Moses to be successful and to make his excuses null and void.

One fear Moses had was that neither the Egyptians nor the Israelites would believe that the Lord had appeared to him (Ex. 4:1).  Instead of depending on the mere words of Moses, God provided miracles to back up his claims that God had indeed commissioned him.  The miracles of his rod turning into a serpent, leprosy instantaneously appearing and disappearing on his flesh, and water turning into blood were God’s attestations that Moses was His messenger (Ex.  4:2-9).

The miracles recorded in the Bible indicate God’s confirmation of those who were speaking for Him.  Jesus claimed to be sent from God and had works that bore witness to the veracity of the claim (Jn. 5:36).  Certainly the miracles of Jesus were deeds no other man had ever worked (Jn.15:24); moreover, the works were to produce belief in Him (Jn. 14:11).  A sampling of those works are recorded in the New Testament in order to produce belief even today (Jn. 20:30-31).

The apostles and prophets who were to continue the message of God in the first century before the New Testament was completed were also provided with evidence from God that their message was from Him (Mk. 16:18-20; Heb. 2:3-4).  Not all Jesus wished to reveal to us was spoken during His earthly ministry; even His disciples who spent every day with Him had much more to learn (Jn. 16:12).  Jesus promised the apostles the Holy Spirit would come to remind them of what He had taught and teach them all things, guiding them into all truth (Jn. 14:26; 16:13). Thus, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit were exercised in the first-century church (1 Cor. 12:3-11). They served this confirmatory function while God’s message was delivered in parts: a portion through an apostle here and another portion to a prophet there (1 Cor. 13:9; cf. Eph. 3:5; 2 Cor. 12:12). When the completed message was preserved in written form, the miraculous gifts vanished away, having served their purpose (1 Cor. 13:8-10; Eph. 4:8-15).

Miracles were not for the purpose of making money; Simon the Sorcerer was severely rebuked for greedily devising such a plan (Acts 8:18-24).  Neither Jesus nor His apostles turned the true miracles from God into a two-hour-long television special to excite emotions and make money.  Jesus refused to perform shallow spectacles (Mt. 4:5-7).  The miracles were worked to engender faith in the truths of Christianity.  Those who did not believe when they had seen the miraculous evidence were scolded for their hard hearts (Mt. 11:20).

Today many claim God has sent them, is guiding them, and speaking through them beyond the message of the Bible.  The Muslims claim Muhammad was the last and greatest prophet of God.  The Roman Catholic Church claims the Magisterium is guided by the Holy Spirit.  The Mormons have their Prophet and Council of the Twelve.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses look to the Watchtower organization for their guidance.  A Pentecostal preacher gets up in front of an audience and tells them God told him something.  Who are we to believe?  Do any of these groups have the miraculous credentials from God equivalent to what we see in the Bible?  Belief in their claims rests on a matter of demonstration, not argumentation.  God has backed up the Bible, His true word, with miracles.  Nothing of that nature is happening today.

-Mark Day

The apostle Paul said “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:1-2. In a closely related passage the apostle Peter said, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God”, 1 Peter 4:11. Paul’s and Peter’s charge is clear. It reveals the message the church is to teach and/or preach is the Word of God.

The Reason Behind The Charge is “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16. The Scriptures are “God breathed” (the meaning behind the word translated “inspired of God”). This points to the authoritative nature of the Scriptures.

The Benefit of The Charge is “that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The Scriptures “are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 3:15.

The Seriousness of The Charge is seen in that it is given before two faithful witnesses – God and Christ, 1 Timothy 4:1. Notice these faithful witnesses will judge “the quick (living) and the dead”. Since we will stand before Christ in judgment, Christians should take the charge very seriously.

What The Message Is Not. Some preach/teach to tickle the itching ears of their hearers (2 Timothy 4:3-4), some serve their own belly (Romans 16:18), and some love the praise of men (John 12:43). Some preach the teachings of men, Matthew 15:2-3. Some preach from their creed books that are of human origin. Friends, these things ought not to be.

Included in the Message of The Church. Preach the Word, 2 Timothy 4:2. Listeners must demand, must tolerate, nothing less. The message must include the whole counsel of God, Acts 20:27. The message must begin with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:2-3. This is the foundational principle of the Gospel of Christ.

Our Attitude Towards The Message. One of the greatest gifts God has given to the world is His Word. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” We must be like the noble Bereans and receive “the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11.

Only a Few Will Receive the Message. How sad it is for people to see “the glorious gospel of Christ” and be blinded by “the god of this world”, 2 Corinthians 4:4. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

The Choice Is Yours. Will you receive the message, God’s Word, obey it, live according to it and be ready to stand before God in judgment?

For further study read “Biblically Speaking About The Church by Chuck Northrop”  

–Jerry D. Sturgill