Ok I CBA to read all that I’ve missed in this thread as it’s become quite overwhelming the amount of posts we’re getting here. I did see some mention of “Eucharistic miracles” from some Christians so I thought I’d give my word on that (ie. miracles in general in modern day). I wrote an article on the Charismatic movement (unrelated to “Eucharistic miracles” but the article’s applicable nonetheless) recently so I’ll post that here:
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Pentecostalism (or other sects of the Charismatic movement) is much like any other Christian denomination, where it’s defining quirk focuses on personal modern-day experience with God through the Holy Spirit and baptism. Pentecostals try to base their worship on the worship of early Christians described in the book of Acts, but mistakingly claim personal experiences with God also based on this time period. This poses a major fallacy here. Pentecostals believe that God will (and does) speak to us in modern days. They believe in things such as modern day prophesy, speaking in tongues, and other various miracles (including calling upon God to perform miracles such in the sense of religious healers), as well as other things such as instrumental music performed in worship. When you focus on the miracles themselves so much, there en lies the tendency of many to neglect to realize the purpose such miracles. The focus is also removed off of what is being taught and who is teaching it.
I feel it’s necessary to say that while I have never attended a Pentecostal congregation, I do have some Pentecostal friends who’ve described to me in detail (as well as with my research on the religion) what Pentecostalism really practices and teaches, and for the most part I think it’s legitimately from the Bible except for a few quirks, mentioned above. Regarding modern day prophesy, I’ve covered this topic before in my article about Mormonism and their beliefs on the subject. In the same manner, we look to passages such as Revelation 22:18-19 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” and Deuteronomy 4:2 “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” No one is able, nor has the authority, to take away or add to what is already set as the word of God, provided to us in the form of the Bible. The Bible is the COMPLETE word of God, as made clear in 2 Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” as well as in Jude 3 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” These passages plainly point out that we as Christians have all that we need to know God’s word, as the faith, or the complete doctrine, has been delivered to the saints.
Also, we can look in Galatians 1:6-8 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” It says we’re not to teach anything other than Jesus’ law that was spoken by Jesus himself and also transcribed by prophets around that time. In a very similar case, Pentecostals also believe that we as Christians can speak in tongues as talked about in 1 Corinthians 14:4-5 “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.” It’s also believed by Pentecostals that speaking in tongues refers to speaking in a language unknown to man (or a language of the Angels). This is certainly not what is described in the Bible. They try to back up this belief on 1 Corinthians 13:1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” The point Paul is making here is not that he is speaking of a non-human language when he says “tongues of men and angels,” but that speaking without love (“charity,” or “love” in the NKJV) is meaningless. He is using metaphoric and hyperbolic speech to elocute his point when he says “I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” It becomes furthermore apparent that this is what he means in the next two verses, where Paul explains that having all knowledge or all faith without also having love does no good. The language of the “tongues” was that of humans.
I do not doubt that Christians at one time were able to speak in tongues through he help of the Holy Spirit like described in Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” But some neglect to realize what 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 says. “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 specifically talks about speaking in tongues and prophecies ending!
Now, we may ask, “but when are these things to end?” If we look at that passage, we see that it says that it will end when we have the perfect word of God. This undoubtedly refers to the Bible as we know it itself is the perfect word of God, therefore there is no such thing as modern day prophecy, nor speaking in tongues. Also, it’s important to mention in that passage when it says “knowledge” it’s talking about pretty much the same thing as prophecy to where you “know” something new of the word of God. We have the entire and perfect word of God, the Bible. There is nothing more that can nor will be prophesied, nor knowledge that will be given to Christians by God or speaking in tongues by the utterance given to Christians by the Holy spirit. Some will argue that where it says “perfect” it refers to Jesus coming, but we can look to see that it refers to the Law of Christ when they use that word, as it also uses it in James 1:25 “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
In an almost related belief, Pentecostals believe that Christians can call upon God (acting as would a ‘religious healer’) to perform miracles upon others. Let’s put aside for a moment that miracles (like of the first century) aren’t something that happens in modern day. We’ll talk about that in a second, but to further prove our point let’s (for the sake of argument) say that it does. Pentecostals are cleverly saying that it’s not them actually preforming the miracle, but God, through the avenue of prayer. But I feel that they’re taking this for granted. At the point where you can expect someone to be able to call upon God to heal someone in an immediate way, it becomes a matter of undeserved authority. We as humans do not have the power nor authority to perform miracles ourselves or to call upon God to perform a miracle and take that for granted (especially in a manner as immediate as something like faith healing). We are unworthy to deserve the great mercy that our loving God continues to give us, and certainly not fit to expect things of him like faith healing.
Now, as stated above, of course there’s a more prominent reason faith healing, prophecy, revelation and speaking in tongues do not exist today: they are miracles, and these miracles that are of the first century do not exist today. It is made apparent to us in the Bible that the point of miracles is to confirm the word of God. We find an example of this in the Old Testament in Exodus. In Chapter three and four God shows Moses how to confirm his word if the people did not believe with three signs (the serpent rod, toggling his hand being afflicted with leprosy when he put it in and out of his cloak, and the water turning into blood). In the New Testament, Hebrews 2:1 – 4 further makes this point evident to us. So, therefore, as described in the Bible, the word of God was confirmed by these miracles, wonders, prophecies, revelations, etc, and was made complete into the Bible itself. And, as stated also in the Bible, that explicitly means that there is no more need for any of that.
Now, one other thing Pentecostals believe is that Christians should use instrumental music in their worship. The short answer to why this is incorrect is that we don’t have biblical authority to do so. Everything we do in worship should be done with authority. This authority issue is found in the Bible, in the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16). We are to do exactly what God says and to not deviate away from that (and that includes things like adding instruments). Of course, the Jews of the Old Testament were told to use instruments (Psalms 33). But every time someone tries to say that we can use instrumental music in worship they pull from the Old Testament. This is because there are no mentions that we should in the New Testament. The reason you can’t just pull things like that from the Old Testament is because much of it doesn’t apply to us today as Christians, because it was old Jewish law; before Christ came with the new law. With that same logic (that you can pull from the Old Testament Jewish law to justify something) then we could look at Exodus 21:23-25 “And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” and Leviticus 24:19-21 “And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.” and claim that we are entitled to hurt someone (physically) as equal as they have hurt us. We know that this is just not true, however. Matthew 5:38-39 states “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Matthew 5 makes several changes from the Old Law, but of course there are more than just those. Look at Leviticus 1-7 for example. Do we still do animal sacrifices as Christians? No, of course not. So why then would Psalms 33 be more any more applicable? The fact of the matter is, it’s not. But, if you need any more proof, look at Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” We are to sing and make melody in our hearts, not with instruments.
My Pentecostal friend claimed one of their reasons for believing in the doctrine was because they “felt Jesus” there at their congregation. I don’t doubt that they felt something, but I do doubt it was Jesus. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 offers some words on this, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” That’s not to say it was specifically Satan that sways all of our emotions, but nonetheless we shouldn’t rely on our own feelings to guide us but rather God’s word, for the devil (or our own emotions) can deceive us very easily into “feeling” something is right, when it is not.
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