1. Why Prophesying and Speaking in Tongues Do Not Occur Today

2. Signs, Wonders and Miracles
Signs, wonders, and miracles are essential to the Christian faith. They proved that Jesus was sent from God. (Acts 2:22 NKJV) “… attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, .…” They confirmed the prophets’ message. (Heb 2:4 NKJV) God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

3. Signs, Wonders and Miracles
It is also essential to understand that they ended.
If they did not end, then:
There are additional authorized messengers.
There are additional authenticated messages.
We must heed all the words from God to man.

4. Signs, Wonders and Miracles
The claim of continuing messages from God is a great source of confusion and digression in the religious world today. We need to put that claim in clear contrast to the Scriptures. 1 Cor 14.33
(1 Cor 14:33 NKJV) For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
We need to be able to demonstrate from the Scriptures the end of miracles.

5. Signs, Wonders and Miracles
The Scriptures (I Cor. 13 and Eph. 4) teach the principle that there would be a time when signs, wonders, and miracles would end. That is a valid, valuable (and infallible) approach.

6. Signs, Wonders and Miracles
The approach in this study for proving the end of signs, wonders, and miracles is to:
Identify the ways (modes or means) by which people received them.
Show that these modes of transmitting these abilities are no longer available today.
If miraculous abilities cannot be imparted today, they are not occurring today.

7. Mode 1: Laying on of Apostle’s Hands
The first mode (or means) of imparting miraculous gifts we will investigate is the laying on of an Apostle’s hands.
We will look at occasions on which this occurred.
We will see an explicit statement from the Scriptures about this mode.

8. Example 1: Twelve “Disciples” at Ephesus
Paul thought they were Christians and asked: Act 19:2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" When Paul learned they were not Christians, they were baptized. Then—only after they became Christians: Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
(Acts 19:1-7 NKJV) And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples {2} he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." {3} And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." {4} Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." {5} When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. {6} And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. {7} Now the men were about twelve in all.

9. Example 2: The Samaritans
Among the Samaritans (Acts 8:5-13), the evangelist Philip:
Worked miracles.
Taught and baptized many (including Simon, a magician).
Simon was amazed at the miracles and signs done by Philip (Acts 8:13).
Read Acts 8:5-24
Simon was amazed at the miracles and signs done by Philip:
Act 8:13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
But, Simon never asked Philip for the ability to perform miracles.

10. Example 2: The Samaritans
Then two Apostles (Peter and John) came to Samaria and … (Acts 8:17 NKJV) … laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. They received something Simon could see. (Acts 8:18 NKJV) ... Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given ....

11. Example 2: The Samaritans
When Simon saw that it was through the laying on of the Apostles’ hands that miraculous abilities were transmitted, Simon asked the Apostles… (Acts 8:19 NKJV) … “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Simon approached the Apostles (not Philip) for the power to impart miraculous abilities.

12. Example 2: The Samaritans
Note Simon’s clear conclusion that the power was transmitted by the Apostles’ hands: (Acts 8:18 NKJV) …through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given ….

13. Example 3: Timothy
The Apostle Paul had imparted a “gift” to Timothy. 2Ti 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. The eldership (“presbytery”) was present. 1Ti 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.

14. Again, it was an Apostle’s hands that transmitted the abilities.
Example 3: Timothy
It was “by” Paul’s hands and “with” the hands of the eldership. The eldership was present. Paul’s hands were the means by which the miraculous abilities were imparted.
Greek word “dia” in 2Tim 1.6
Greek word “meta” in 1Tim 4.14
Again, it was an Apostle’s hands that transmitted the abilities.

15. Mode 1: Laying on of Apostle’s Hands
Summary of First Mode The first mode (or method) of receiving miraculous abilities is the laying on of an Apostle’s hands. There is not a single instance of miraculous abilities being imparted by a man (or woman) except by the laying on of the hands of an Apostle.

16. Signs, Wonders and Miracles
But, there are two (and only two) occasions recorded when the miraculous abilities were imparted without the laying on of anyone’s hands. These two instances demonstrate a second mode (or method) by which miraculous gifts were received.
Mode 2: Baptism With the Holy Spirit

17. Example 1: Apostles on Pentecost
On the Day of Pentecost (AD 30), the Apostles … (Acts 2:1 ASV) … were all together in one place. (Acts 2:2-3 ASV) And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. (Acts 2:4 ASV) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

18. Example 1: Apostles on Pentecost
On the Day of Pentecost (AD 30) … The Apostles received the ability to speak in tongues. But, those abilities were not imparted by anyone’s hands. They came “from heaven” (Acts 2:2) and “fell” (Acts 11:15) upon the Apostles.

19. Example 1: Apostles on Pentecost
This was in fulfillment of a promise: That Jesus made just days earlier that... (Acts 1:5 NKJV) … you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” That Peter said was fulfilled when Jesus, … (Acts 2:33 NKJV) … having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
This was baptism “with the Holy Spirit.”

20. Example 2: Cornelius’ Household
While Peter was still preaching… (Acts 10:44 NKJV) … the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. Peter observed that those Gentiles had... (Acts 10:47 NKJV) “… received the Holy Spirit … And, as a result they did … (Acts 10:46 NKJV) … speak with tongues and magnify God….
Read entire chapter of Acts 10 BEFORE first click

21. Example 2: Cornelius’ Household
What happened at Cornelius’ house in AD 40 was a rare event: For a precedent, Peter related it to something that had happened before to the Apostles. Peter said those of Cornelius’ house had... (Acts 10:47 NKJV) “… received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

22. Example 2: Cornelius’ Household
What happened at Cornelius’ house in AD 40 was a rare event:—Cont’d For a precedent, Peter related it to events on Pentecost AD 30. Peter said the Holy Spirit fell on them... (Acts 11:15 NKJV) “…as upon us at the beginning. Peter said God gave them... (Acts 11:17 NKJV) “…the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ .…

23. Example 2: Cornelius’ Household
What did happen at Cornelius’ house? Peter connected the events at Cornelius’ house with a promise of baptism with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 11:16 NKJV) “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

24. Example 2: Cornelius’ Household
What did happen at Cornelius’ house?
Peter connected the events at Cornelius’ house with a promise of baptism with the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 11:16 NKJV) “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
Peter connected the events at Cornelius’ house with “the baptism of the Holy Spirit” on Pentecost.
(Acts 11:15 NKJV) “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning.

25. Mode 2: Baptism With the Holy Spirit – Summary
Those Apostles on Pentecost (AD 30) and those of Cornelius’ household (AD 40) received visible, miraculous abilities, just as did: The twelve Ephesians upon whom Paul laid his hands, and Those of Samaria upon whom Peter and John laid their hands.

26. Mode 2: Baptism With the Holy Spirit – Summary
But the mode (or method) of imparting the gifts was completely different. No laying on of hands was involved. On Pentecost and at Cornelius’ house, the abilities seem to “fall” from heaven (Acts 10:44,11:15). Jesus, the one who baptized with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8), was in heaven (Acts 2:33, Col. 3:1, I Pet. 3:22) .

27. Signs, Wonders and Miracles
There were two modes (or means) by which miraculous abilities were transmitted:
The laying on of an Apostle’s hands.
“Baptism with the Holy Spirit” by Jesus.
There are no Apostles today (none meet the qualifications—Acts 1:20-23, I Cor. 15:8-9).
There is no “baptism with the Holy Spirit” today (Paul says there is “one baptism” in Eph. 4:5, written AD 62).
Act 1:20-22
(20) "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'LET HIS DWELLING PLACE BE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE LIVE IN IT'; and, 'LET ANOTHER TAKE HIS OFFICE.'
(21) "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
(22) beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
1Co 15:8-9
(8) Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
(9) For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.