19:11-12 Can these miracles still be duplicated today?

Yes, although there are many who teach that these miracle working powers were only conferred on Christ's disciples in the first century church in order to establish the church in the earth. But that is not correct, as scriptures clearly teach (CP Mk 16:17-18; Jn 14:12-14; Ac 2:36-39; 5:32).

Them that believe in Mk 16:17-18, he that believeth on me in Jn 14:12-14, all that are a far off in Ac 2:36-39 and them that obey in Ac 5:32 all refer to every believer in Christ in every age, from the day of Pentecost until God's redemptive plan is fulfilled in the very last sinner saved and filled with the Holy Spirit prior to Christ's return. It includes us today, and all who will come to believe on Christ in the future (CP Mt 28:19-20).

Here Jesus qualifies the life-span of what Mk 16:17-18, Jn 14:12-14, Ac 2:36-39 and 5:32 all teach with His declaration in V20 … and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Christ was not only talking to His disciples of that era, but to His disciples throughout the whole of the church age. Miracles were not limited to the first century church any more than preaching the gospel and baptizing repentant sinners were, and to teach otherwise ignores the plain fact of scripture and violates what Jesus Himself teaches (CP Jn 14:12-16).

In V12-14 here Jesus is in essence saying that because His earthly ministry was ended and He had to go to the Father, every one of His disciples would receive the same empowering He had, to enable them to carry on His work in the earth building His church. This empowering comes from the Holy Spirit, who, Jesus said in V16, would remain with His disciples forever - not just for the first century. This clearly refutes any teaching that something so integral to God's redemptive plan was only a temporary activity that would cease with the first century church.

The church Christ is building is not yet complete, and until it is, every believer has access to the same empowering of the Holy Spirit that the first century believers had. All they have to do is act on God's word and ask for it (CP Lu 11:9-13).

This empowering of the Holy Spirit is called the baptism in the Spirit (CP Jn 7:37-39). This is the same baptism in the Holy Spirit that empowered the first century disciples (CP Lu 24:49; Ac 1:6-8; 2:38). The sure evidence that believers are baptized in the Spirit is that they speak in tongues (CP Isa 28:11-12; Joel 2:28-29 and Mk 16:17 with Ac 2:1-11, 14-18; 8:9-21; 10:44-46; 19:6). Everyone in those scriptures who were baptized in the Spirit spoke in tongues.

This proves that tongues attest to the validity of the baptism in the Spirit. In Ac 2:16 Peter declared that speaking in tongues was the outward manifestation of the baptism in the Spirit which Joel prophesied in the Old Testament (CP Ac 2:16). Paul quoted Isa 28:11-12 in 1Cor 14:21 to prove that tongues were for a sign to unbelievers of the supernatural presence of God among His people (CP 1Cor 14:21-22).

The word matter in ac 8:21 is from the Greek word logos, which means something said, utterance, word, speech, divine expression. Simon wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit because he heard those believers speak in tongues as they were baptized in the Spirit, when Peter and John laid hands on them (CP Ac 8:18-21).

Sadly, those who teach that God only conferred miracle working powers upon the first century church, and not the contemporary church, also reject the validity of tongues in the contemporary church. Yet they declare the baptism in the Spirit is still valid. It is ludicrous to suggest that tongues are not valid for today, and yet declare the baptism with the Holy Spirit still is.

They go together - one cannot be had without the other, as scriptures clearly teach. If one is still valid so is the other. Tongues attest to the validity of the baptism in the Spirit, and therefore are an integral part of God's redemptive plan, which is ongoing and centred around the baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit. God's redemptive plan did not cease with the first century church, and neither did the baptism in the Spirit, or tongues.

Those who teach against miracles and tongues in the contemporary church need to redefine their definition of baptism in the Spirit. They think that the baptism in the Spirit is received contemporaneously with receiving Christ as Saviour. But that is not correct as scriptures clearly teach. At that time they are born again by the Spirit, and the Spirit baptizes them into Christ's body, the church. This is how the church is constituted (CP Jn 3:3, 5, 8 with Ro 6:3-5; 1Cor 12:12-14; Ga 3:26-27).

While being baptized by the Holy Spirit into the church is a spiritual baptism - it is the only baptism that saves - it is not the baptism in the Spirit however, which is the empowering of believers for service. It is Jesus who does this baptizing. We need to look again at the scriptures which teach this (CP Mt 3:1-3, 11; Mk 1:6-8; Lu 3:15-16; 24:49; Jn 7:37-39; 16:7; Ac 1:6-8; 2:38).

The baptism in the Spirit is a separate and distinct operation or ministry of the Holy Spirit altogether to that of being born again by the Spirit. Jesus Himself distinguishes between them (CP Jn 14:15-17). Jesus is referring to the baptism in the Holy Spirit here, which the disciples were soon to receive. They were already born again by the Spirit - He dwelt with them - but they were not yet baptized in the Spirit, when He would dwell in them.

The Holy Spirit dwells with repentant sinners when they commit themselves to Christ, and He dwells in them when they are baptized in the Spirit (CP Ac 8:4-17; Ro 8:9-11, 15 1Cor 2:12; 3:16; 6:19; 2Cor 5:5; 6:16; Ga 3:2; Eph 1:12-13; 2:22; 5:18; 1Th 4:8; 1Jn 3:24; 4:13). Being born again by the Spirit and being baptized in the Spirit were two separate and distinct operations of the Spirit in the first century, and they are two separate and distinct operations today.

Those who believe they have been baptized in the Spirit but do not speak in tongues need to know this, because being biblically baptized in the Spirit means that they can operate in the same sphere of empowering as the first century church did. All they have to do is ask, as Jesus said in Lu 11 (CP Lu 11:9-13).

The devil does not want believers to be biblically baptized and empowered for service. He does not want to have to contend with a powerful, witnessing church today, operating in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, like he had to contend with the first century church. The more Christians reject the biblical empowering of the Holy Spirit, the less effective they will be in accomplishing God's purpose in the earth. This is what the devil wants - an ineffective church.

Following is a suggested prayer for the baptism in the Spirit:

Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus Name believing with all my heart that I only have to ask, and you will give me, as your word promises, the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

I ask you now dear Lord to baptize me and fill be with you Holy Spirit.

I believe that I have now received the baptism in the Spirit and I thank you for it Lord. I now expect to speak in tongues in accordance with your word as the Holy Spirit gives me the utterance.

Believers who prayed this prayer now need to put their vocal cords into operation and mouth the words as the Holy Spirit gives them utterance. Do it aloud and do not be concerned with what you say, or how it sounds. Just keep speaking out the words.

You will soon become fluent in your new language (see also comments on Mt 3:11, Mk 16:17-18, Lu 24:49, Jn 3:3, 3:5, 3:8, 7:37-39, 14:12-14, 14:15-17, 20:22; Ac 1:8, 2:1-4 (A), 2:1-4 (B), Ro 6:3-5, 8:26-27, 1Cor 12:1-11(A), 12:1-11 (B), 13:8-12 and author's studies Baptism in the Spirit in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith, Signs and Wonders in God's Redemptive Plan in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1), and The Work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2)).

Acts: