debated for decades. There exists two groups; those who believed in the cessation of the sign gifts and those who believe that they are still

for today. The sign gifts consisted of prophecy, tongues and miracles.

Miracles consisted of the ability to perform special signs including physical healing through an individual. The fact that God can heal and

do other miracles is not being questioned here. What is being questioned is whether the gift that gave human individuals the ability to wrought miraculous signs are for today.

Those who believe that certain gifts have ceased refer to1 Corinthians 13:8-10 as Biblical evidence for the cessation of gifts. The verse reads, "Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. for we know in part and we prophecy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away."

The argument that many holds is that this passage is saying that when the "perfect" comes prophecy, tongues and other sign gifts will e

I believe that this verse gives insight to the purpose of the sign gifts. Jesus' miracle served as an infallible witness to His deity, it showed the people that he was God. Peter himself tells the people that they knew what Jesus did and there was no denying it. The people knew Jesus and what He did but they did not know the church. How were the people supposed to know that the church is the body of Christ? Well they would know when they see the church do great deeds like Jesus. All that was needed was for the apostles and the church to prove that they come in the power of Jesus and when this is proven they need not continually prove it. The apostles and the early church demonstrated amazing

to show why 1 Cor 13:8-10 cannot be used to prove that the gifts have ceased.

Him. Though I believe that the "perfect" has not yet come I don't believe, however, that the sign gifts are in operation today. This is based on other verses which I will explain later. For now I will continue

How then do we account for the fact that miracles and prophecy and tongues that are recorded in the New Testament do not occur today in mainstream Christianity? I believe that tongues, prophecy and miracles have ceased based on the fact that at the close of the Apostlelic age the signs gifts seem to

I believe that the sign gifts were used to give credibility to the early church and to the apostles. Acts 2:22 says,

of Christ. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

Some common words found in the essay are:
Son God, , God Peter, Jesus Nazareth, Christostom Christian, Christ Ephesians, sign gifts, Christ Till, gifts ceased, ephesians 411-13, prophecy tongues, body christ, cessation sign gifts, 1 cor 138-10, perfect return, cor 138-10, apostles church, evangelist pastors, perfect return christ, believe sign gifts, believe sign, church body christ,
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Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)