Are they really new?? NO they are as old as the ones who through God wrote the bible and even older. There was a time when people were killed by the catholic church because of belief in the Bible and not the Catholic's take on it. It was considered heresy to believe any way.
Now it is considered heresy to believe any differently than the mainstream churches believe, even though it is scripturally sound.
Example 1
A girl was given a prophecy and is new to the gift.
She was debunked by well meaning Christians. There reasons were:
1. "Paul was a healer but he didn't heal himself"
Balogna. Paul wasn't sick!! I know that there are those who believe that they thorn in Paul's side was sickness because of the word "infirmity". But lets look at the verse in context and with the meaning of the greek word that it was translated from.
2 Corinthians 12: (KJV)
12:6
For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of * * me.
12:7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
12:8
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
12:11
I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles *, though I be nothing.
12:12
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
12:13
For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.
Infirmaties, from Strong's
ajsqevneia from (772)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Astheneia 1:490,83
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
as-then'-i-ah Noun Feminine
Definition
want of strength, weakness, infirmity
of the body
its native weakness and frailty
feebleness of health or sickness
of the soul
want of strength and capacity requisite 1b
to understand a thing 1b
to do things great and glorious 1b
to restrain corrupt desires 1b
to bear trials and troubles
NOw the NAS which is the closest to the org. texts translate it into "weekness"
12:5
On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.
12:6
For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.
12:7
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself!
12:8
Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
12:9
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
12:10
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
12:11
I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody.
See the verse in context?? He was talking about NOT BOASTING, because we all have weaknesses and we all stumble!! This has nothing to do with him being sick.
Lets look at this so called debunking from a different angle. Paul was bitten by a serpent, one that was full of poison.
Acts:
28:3
But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
28:4
When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live."
28:5
However * he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
28:6
But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.
Why did he suffer NO harm?? Because sickness was not able to come upon Him!! Why because he believed in Jesus and His Word and His promises.
Mark:
16:14
Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.
16:15
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
16:16
"He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
16:17
"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
16:18
they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover *."
16:19
So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
16:20
And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.] [And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. ]
OK, let me qualify this. This does NOT in anyway mean that we should go out and drink poison or play with snakes because "Jesus won't let anything harm us". This is testing God and the bible clearly states that this is a sin.
But if you get bit while walking in the woods, trying to avoid snake, and get bit IT CAN NOT harm you. But we have to be walking in the fullness of the HS and belief.
Sickness can NOT come upon the believer who is walking in the Fullness of the HS and Belief. Paul didn't need anyone to lay hands on him because sickness was not able to abide in his body.
Is this new theology?? NO!! It is old. Is it unbiblical?? NO!! It is not only biblical, but also very clear!!
The second thing wrong with the thought "Paul was a healer" is that he was NOT a healer, but rather God performed healings through Paul's obedience to the HS. Paul did nothing on his own, but rather God did it through him. This goes along with my first point of boasting because we can do nothing with out God doing it through us!!
2. "God only speaks to us in a word or two, never large paragraphs" and "it is never for the one who has this prophecy"
Again, balogna. Question.. How is it possible for those who believe this also believe that the bible was written by God??
Moses wrote the first 4 books of the bible, from the beginning of the Earth, long before he was ever born??
Noah was given the entire instruction on building the ark through God.
David was able to not only interpet the king's dreams but also repeat the dream that the king had to the king.
John wrote the book of Revelation the entire book.
There are so many other examples in the bible. The Word that was given to Noah was specifically for him and his family, no one else!!
Again NEW???? Not at all!!
Eample 2.
Another lady was able to discern something through smell
The reasons that this was debunked were:
1. "This is not biblical"
Philippians (NAS)
1:9
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
Discernment=
aisqesiß from (143)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Aisthesis 1:187,29
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
ah'-ee-sthay-sis Noun Feminine
Definition
perception, not only by the senses but by the intellect
cognition, discernment
of moral discernment in ethical matters
Knowlege=
epignosiß from (1921)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Epignosis 1:689,119
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
ep-ig'-no-sis Noun Feminine
Definition
precise and correct knowledge
used in the NT of the knowledge of things ethical and divine
The KJV says "judgement", but the word in "judgement" in the KJV translates to the same greek word used for "discernment" in the NAS.
Philippians (KJV)
18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Smell from sacrifice. But this is the NT and there weren't physical sacrifices by believers. Paul was able to discern this by smell!!
What are the sacrifices in the NT??
Here is an example, but far from them all:
Hebrews 13:
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
It was not a physical smell that Paul smelled, but rather he discerned it!!
Now, if we can smell the good, then wouldn't that also mean that we can smell the bad??
From my research, this is in fact biblical and it is in the bible. New? No, once again old!!
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To tell me that this and the other Spiritual Gifts are not biblical or for today is picking and choosing what you wish to believe.
Who are we to decide what is for today and what isn't?? There isn't any biblical Scripture to base this assumption on.
As far as God doesn't do anything new. This is not new!! It is old. I believe that we are not seeing the full Power of God because of disbelief. The Power of His Name and the miracles wrought by Jesus, Paul, and the Apostles is still alive and possible today.
Jesus said that ANYONE who believes on His will be able to perform the miracles and MANY more.
John 14:
12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
13 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
There was a time when the Catholic church said the same about ALL other faiths. It is new so it is heresy. But I reinterate, it is not new but a going back to that which is old and that which is shown in the bible and available to ALL believers.
Now what does the bible say is going to happen in the "latter days"
17 `AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, `THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND
40 ; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;
18 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.
19 `AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.
20 `THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.
21 `AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'
When did the last days end?? They haven't!! I can not understand how people can believe that the last part of this is the only part which is relevant for today. Isn't that picking and chosing what they wish to believe is only for today??
What is the greek translation for "last" that was used in this verse?
Here:
Last:
escatoß a superlative probably from (2192) (in the sense of contiguity)
Transliterated Word TDNT Entry
Eschatos 2:697,264
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
es'-khat-os Adjective
Definition
extreme
last in time or in place
last in a series of places
last in a temporal succession
the last
last, referring to time
of space, the uttermost part, the end, of the earth
of rank, grade of worth, last i.e. lowest
Read Joel chapter 2 and you will see that this does in fact include today!!
2 Timothy 3:1-9
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous,reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,
7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.
9 But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also.
Denying the Power!! Isn't that what they do when they deny that miracles and healings are for today??
Hebrews 13:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.
2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
Why haven't we seen more of these today?? People are denying the HS in their lives, believing that being filled with the HS with the evidence of tongues is not for today. People are denying the Power of God and the HS and Jesus, but saying that this is not for today!!
As shown in the scriptures above, They have been so sure that this is of the devil, that they close themselves off to the truth and the Power of God.
Jesus is the same today as He was yesterday. He said Himslef that because He goes to the Father that Miracles will happen and the Works that He did, GREATER WORKS also, will be ours!!
This is NOT new nor was it only to establish the old Church, but also for establishing the Churches and getting us ready for the end times!!
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