Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." 1 Tim. 5:23.
Why wasn't Timothy prayed for and hands layed on him to heal his "often infirmities" ? Where were the divine healers when such a great man as Timothy was in need of healing?
2. When was the last time someone in your church handled snakes? Mark 16:18 says "they SHALL". Not some of them. Or only those with enough faith. It says ALL WHO BELIEVE. They SHALL.
3. Who in your church has drank poison and survived? Once again, "they SHALL". Not a few. ALL that believe.
You cannot have it both ways. Take the verses you like and run with them, take the ones you're not so comfortable with and let them lay unanswered. Either ALL THAT BELIEVE ARE ABLE TO DO THESE THINGS, or they are NOT. OR, perhaps, there is another answer to this conundrum.
I will ask you 4 questions that I'm sure you are often asked. So often in fact, that they are probably considered absurd. But I would like to see your responses.
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." 1 Tim. 5:23.
Why wasn't Timothy prayed for and hands layed on him to heal his "often infirmities" ? Where were the divine healers when such a great man as Timothy was in need of healing?
Perhaps the same place St Paul was when The Lord told him HIS GRACE WAS SUFFICIENT regarding his “thorn in the flesh!”
Where did I say there are NO MYSTERIES in our Christian walk?
Where did I say ANY of us no longer “see through the glass dimly” but now see all things with crystal clarity?
2. When was the last time someone in your church handled snakes? Mark 16:18 says "they SHALL". Not some of them. Or only those with enough faith. It says ALL WHO BELIEVE. They SHALL.
Absolutely and I believe it entirely. I have come across folks who were bitten by deadly poisonous snakes in missionary situations without ill effect. As we know from what Christ said—DO NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD. Deliberate snake handling is absurd. Nevertheless, GOD’S PROMISE IS STILL OPERANT AND EFFECTIVE for fitting cases of snake bite.
3. Who in your church has drank poison and survived? Once again, "they SHALL". Not a few. ALL that believe.
Again, The PROMISES OF GOD are STILL operant and in effect. I’ve talked with folks where enemies of missionaries tried to poison them with no effects. And, I, myself, unwittingly drank some pretty dreadful stuff on the mission field without ill effects. Again, that’s quite different from TEMPTING THE LORD YOUR GOD by drinking poison deliberately to ‘TEST GOD.’ Foolishness is still foolishness regardless of the rationalizations involved.
You cannot have it both ways. Take the verses you like and run with them, take the ones you're not so comfortable with and let them lay unanswered. Either ALL THAT BELIEVE ARE ABLE TO DO THESE THINGS, or they are NOT. OR, perhaps, there is another answer to this conundrum.
No conundrum. Like the 3 children of Israel in the fiery furnace . . . OH KING, OUR GOD IS ABLE TO DELIVER US. HOWEVER, IF PER-CHANCE FOR WHATEVER REASON, HE CHOOSES NOT TO IN THIS CASE, WE WILL STILL NOT BOW DOWN TO YOU—IF WE DIE WE DIE. YEA THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I SERVE HIM. That’s the proper stance.
God has always shown Himself faithful in behalf of those WHO TRUSTED HIS PROMISES AND HIS GIFTINGS IN FITTING FAITH AND OBEDIENCE.
God is not obligated to support foolishness any more than Peter put up with the foolishness of the bloke wanting to pay money to be able to lay hands on people and have them healed.
The attitude behind such things is foolishness and worse. God does NOT affirm such foolishness.
HE DOES affirm His promises and giftings.
Those who teach against Holy Spirit’s manifestations and operations in the whole of the Church Era are on very hazardous ground. AT best they will look back with grief at what MIGHT HAVE BEEN in their life and ministry had they been more fair-minded, objective and obedient to The Scriptures on such matters.
When was the last time you or someone within your church spoke to an unbeliever in their own language (one you did not know beforehand) and shared the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith and that person was won to the Lord? That seemed to be the MAIN reason why that gift, especially, was given and it was an everyday occurrence, not a once in a lifetime thing.
Could the "other" answer be that those who are in the will of God doing His work will be protected by Him and they can be assured that no matter what happens in their lives, God is in control? When Mark spoke of people handling deadly serpents and living he could have been speaking of Paul who is spoken of in Acts 28:3-5 "Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the people who lived there saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, 'This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but Justice won't let him live.' But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects." Jesus told his disciples, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (Luke 10:19) We can have the assurance EVEN today, that not one thing can happen to us that God does not approve of. Just like Job and just like the three cast into Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." and "If we die, we die."
People should not be out testing their faith and testing God to see if he means what he says, that is wrong. But we need have no fear when we trust God to lead us. In the same vein, these "sign gifts" of the Holy Spirit were not things people were supposed to seek out, or, God forbid, pretend, but the Holy Spirit gave to each one as HE willed. And each person was to cherish and use the gifts for God's purposes not for their own gain. God could just as easily removed ones gifts from him if he did not use them correctly and that is why Paul admonished the Corinthians who were so immature in their faith that they were playing gamesmanship with them. Comparing themselves among themselves, which Paul said was unwise.