Using Correct Terminology (Part 11) - Confession (Word of Faith Movement) (Part B)

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Confession (Part B) iii. The sign gifts were given to Jesus Christ, the apostles, and some Christians for a period of 40 years from the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry until approximately 70AD. a. This 40 year period of signs and wonders was prophesied in Mic 7:15. (i) God would show the Messiah (Him – Mic 7:15 c/w Mic 7:14, 18-19) marvelous things according to the days that Israel came out of Egypt (Mic 7:15). 1. According - adv. According to. a. In a manner agreeing with, consistent with, or answering to; agreeably to. 2. Israel spent 40 years coming out of the land of Egypt (Act 7:36; Act 13:17-19), therefore these marvelous things would last 40 years as well. (ii) The marvelous things were miracles (signs and wonders). 1. Marvellous - A. adj. Such as to excite wonder or astonishment; wonderful, astonishing, surprising. 2. Wonder - 1. A marvellous object; a marvel, prodigy 2. A deed performed or an event brought about by miraculous or supernatural power; a miracle (a reference to Moses and the apostles working wonders is cited for the secondary definition). 3. Marvellous things, or signs and wonders, were done when Israel came out of Egypt (Psa 78:12 c/w Psa 78:43). (iii) There was coming a day when the Messiah would be shown a 40 year period of miraculous signs and wonders. 1. The beginning of the 40 year period of signs and wonders (miracles) was when Jesus turned the water into wine at the marriage in Cana (Joh 2:11; Act 2:22). 2. At the beginning of miracles, Jesus was about 30 years old (Luk 3:23) which was in approximately 26-30AD. 3. The 40 year period of signs and wonders would therefore run until approximately 66-70AD. b. Sign gifts were given to the early NT church for two primary purposes: (i) To convince the Jews, who were accustomed to seeing a prophet proven by signs, that the Messiah had come (1Co 1:22; Joh 4:48; Joh 6:14). (ii) To confirm the Word of God spoken by Jesus and the Apostles (Mar 16:15-20; Heb 2:3-4; Act 14:1-3; Act 2:43; Act 5:12). c. When the purposes for the sign gifts were no longer necessary, they ceased. (i) Once Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD and all the Jews were either killed or carried away captive, there was no longer a reason for God to give signs and wonders to convince them. (ii) Once the New Testament was complete (perfect) and confirmed, there was no longer a reason for the signs and wonders to continue, and the prophesied 40 year period ended and they ceased (1Co 13:8-10). (iii) The signs and wonders were the signs of an apostle (2Co 12:12). 1. The office of an apostle was a gift from God, just like the ability to perform signs was a gift (1Co 12:28; Eph 4:8, 11). 2. Both gifts passed out of existence by the end of the first century. d. The apostolic gift of miraculous faith (1Co 12:9 c/w Mar 11:23) ceased at the same time the other miraculous sign gifts ceased. iv. The Positive Confession doctrine is unscriptural. a. It is based largely on the idea that Jesus took away all the sicknesses of His people when He died for their sins on the cross. b. This is true in a sense and false in another sense. c. It is true that all of our sicknesses and diseases will be healed when we our bodies are resurrected (Rom 8:21-23), but it is false that all diseases and sickness will be healed during our lives on earth. (i) Disease and death is the result of sin (Rom 5:12; Joh 5:14). (ii) When Christ died for our sins, He took away the ultimate cause of disease and death (Psa 103:3). (iii) However, physical disease and death will not be entirely eradicated until the redemption of our bodies at the resurrection (Rom 8:21-23). (iv) Jesus destroyed death though His death (2Ti 1:10; Heb 2:14), but yet all of His children will physically die if they don't live until His second coming (1Co 15:22; 1Th 4:16-17). (v) If Jesus' death for our sins didn't immediately heal our bodies from the death principle within them which causes them to die in this life (and it didn't), then it follows that neither did His death heal every ailment in our physical bodies in this life prior to them being resurrected. d. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus "hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows . . . and with his stripes we are healed" (Isa 53:4-5). (i) Matthew quoted Isaiah and rendered it, "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Mat 8:17). 1. Matthew said that Jesus fulfilled this verse when He "healed all that were sick" who came to Him during His earthly ministry (Mat 8:16-17). 2. The Holy Spirit was not teaching that Isaiah's prophecy was proclaiming that all the sicknesses of all of Jesus' people would be healed during their lives. (ii) Peter quoted Isaiah and rendered it, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1Pe 2:24). 1. The Holy Spirit here shows us that Jesus bore our sins and healed us spiritually when He died for us on the cross. 2. We "were healed" of the spiritual sickness and death that sin caused in our souls and spirits when Christ put away our sins (Eph 2:1-5). 3. But we will not be healed of all physical sickness and death until our body is redeemed from corruption at the resurrection at the last day (1Co 15:50-54).