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The Passing Of The Miraculous Age

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Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles

Paul once wrote concerning Trophimus: “but Trophimus have I left at Miletus sick” (2 Timothy 4:20). Trophimus was a Gentile convert from Ephesus and a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 20:1-5; Acts 21:29). Paul was a miraculously  endowed apostle of Christ, possessing the “signs of an apostle” (2 Corinthians 12:12).

One of those signs was that Paul could raise the dead (Acts 20:8-10). Knowing this fact, let us ask ourselves this obvious question: “If Paul possessed miraculous powers, why did Paul not heal Trophimus?” The Bible provides us with a simple answer.

The purpose of miracles was to “confirm” the inspired preaching of the miraculously endowed preachers of the first century (Mark 16:20; Acts 2:14-22; Hebrews 2:1-4; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). It was never the design of miraculous powers present in the first century church to heal every one who was sick (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9; Philippians 2:25-27; 1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:20).

The miraculous age was temporary, passing from the scene with the completion of the written New Testament (see the context of 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, note the word “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10, then note the same word in James 1:25). Also see Jude 1:3 and note the phrase “the faith …. once for all delivered.”

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