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Chapter 4 Tell Your Children and Another Generation Unto You and to Your Children (Acts 2:39) Peter said that the infilling of the Holy Ghost was to be a continuing blessing. The power of the Spirit was to pass along to all that were called. (Acts 2:39) Therefore, when the apostles died the miraculous works of the Spirit continued. The early Church fathers widely confirmed this truth in their writings. They were eyewitnesses to the continuing work and ministry of the Holy Ghost. Theologians that say that miracles and gifts ended with the early apostles are incompetent historians and mock professors. The only hope for them is a dose of salvation and a mighty Holy Ghost Baptism! They also need the spirit of doubt expelled by the powerful Word of God. The Early Church Fathers Justin the Martyr (168 AD) witnessed the gift of prophecy and set it apart from what we now call preaching. Justen said, "On the Lord's Day all came together from town and country at the same place and read the Scriptures. When this was finished one would give the address (preaching) "in which he encourages and exhorts to obey these good things. After this we all stand and pray, and when, as already stated, the prayers are ended, bread, wine and water are brought in, and the leader prays and praises with all his strength, and the people give an approving 'Amen!' After this ... If any are holy let them come, if not let such be converted. But as concerns the prophets, let them offer thanksgiving (prophesying and possibly tongues I Cor. 14:17) to their heart's content." So, at the end of the meeting the prophets were given freedom exercise of their spiritual gift.4 Irenaeus (130-201 AD) defended the manifestations of the Spirit in the Church. This included the gift of tongues and prophecy. He said that, "Others mock the gifts of the Spirit, which during the last day, according to the Father's will, were poured out upon the human race." He says that certain mockers, "... are not willing to accept the form according to John, in which the Lord has promised to send the Comforter, but they renounce both this gospel and the prophetic Spirit. They ... will not accept the gift of prophecy in the Church." "I have heard many brethren in all the Churches, who, by the spirit speak in all kinds of tongues, and to the edification of others bring what is hid in man to light and revile the secrets of God."5 Ignatius (115 AD) sent his greetings to the church of the Smyrnaeans saying they were "mercifully endowed with every grace, being filled with faith and love and lacking in no gift, most reverend and bearing holy treasures; to the church which is in Smyrna of Asia..."6 Chrysostom ( AD) said; "But if anyone assert that these (miracles) are mere smoke, and a fictitious wonder unworthy of credit, let us view those of the present day, which are calculated both to stop and to put to shame the blaspheming mouth, and to check the unbridled tongue. For, throughout our whole habitable world, there is not a country, a nation, or a city, where these wonders are not commonly spoken of, which, if figments, would never have occasioned so much admiration. And you yourselves, indeed, might testify for us to these. For we shall have no occasion to receive confirmation of what we assert from others, seeing that you yourselves, our opponents, supply us therewith."7 ------------------------------------ 4 In The Days of the Latter Rain, T. B. Barratt, p. 59 5 ibid. p. 57 6 The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, IgnSmyrn prologue:1 7 Suppressed Evidence pp. 26-27 _________________________________ The Fervent Prayer of A Righteous Man James 5:16 (about 400 A.D.) While Augustine, and his brother Alippius, were studying for the ministry they lived in the home of one Innocentius. He was a devout believer but was afflicted with a painful malady. After repeatedly submitting to severe surgical operations Innocentius' affliction continued. When he was told that another procedure was needed he became pale and agitated with fear and sent away the doctors. His pain during past operations had been so terrible. Finally, exhausted with weeping, at the end of him self, and knowing that there was no way of escape, he called in Alexandrinus a celebrated surgeon. This physician agreed that the operation must be performed to save his life. Therefore, the doctors who had been sent away were told to plan for the operation. That next day a cry went up from his house as though someone had already died. It sounded as though all hope was lost. Every day some godly men visited Innocentius. These were Saturninus bishop of Uzala, Gelosus deacon of the church of Carthage, and Aurelius. When the ministers made their evening visit, the sufferer piteously wept and asked them to be present at his decease rather than his sufferings. Because of the painfulness of his past operations Innocentius believed he would die under the surgeon's hand. His friends did their best to comfort him and exhorted him to submit and trust in God. The rest is told in the words of Augustine. "We then went to prayer; and, as on other occasions, he also prostrated himself, as if some one had forcibly thrust him down, and began to pray: in what manner, with what earnestness, with what emotion, with what a flood of tears, with what agitation of his whole body, I might almost say with what suspension of his respiration, by his groans and sobs, who shall attempt to describe? Whether the rest of the party was so little affected as to be able to pray, I know not. For my own part I could not. This alone, inwardly and briefly, I said: 'Lord, what prayers of thine own children wilt thou ever grant, if thou grant not these?' For nothing more seemed possible, but that he should die praying. We arose; and after the benediction from the bishop, left him; but not till he had besought them to be with him in the morning, nor till they had exhorted him to calmness. The dreaded day arrived, and the servants of God attended as they had promised. The medical men made their appearance; all thing required for such an occasion are got ready; and amidst the terror and suspense of all present, the dreadful instruments are brought out. In the meantime, while those of the bystanders, whose authority was greatest, endeavor to support the courage of the patient by words of comfort, he is place in a convenient posture for the operation, the dressings are opened, the seat of the disease is exposed, the surgeon inspect it, and tries to find the part to be operated upon with his instruments in his hand. He first looks for it, then examines by the touch. In a word, he makes every possible trial, and finds the place perfectly healed! The gladness, the praise, the thanks giving to a compassionate and all-powerful God, from the lips of all present, cannot be told by me. The scene may more easily be imagined than described."8 Speaking Without Tongues The Historian Milner writes of an extraordinary miracle occurring in the 5th century. At Typasa, the secretary of Cirila was ordained bishop by the Arians.9 Many of the Typasaian Christians fled from the Arian heresy but others were unable to leave. These faithful believers began to worship in their homes. When the new Bishop discovered this he complained to Huneric. Therefore, Huneric ordered the dissenter's "tongues to be cut out, and their right hand to be cut off, in the public market-place. After being punished some of the victims moved to Constantinople. ------------------------------------ 8. Suppressed Evidence, -- Thomas Boys, pp. 37-39 9. The Arians denied the deity of Christ and gave him the same position as today's Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons. John spoke of this spirit when he said, "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1 John 4:3) ____________________________ "A miracle followed worthy of God, whose majesty had been so daringly insulted, and which must at that time have much strengthened the hearts of the faithful, who needed indeed some peculiar consolations amid horrible persecution. The miracle itself could not be better documented. These faithful believer's had their tongues cut out to the root, yet they spoke as well as before. 'If any one doubt the fact,' says Victor of Vita, 'let him go to Constantinople, where he will find a sub-deacon, called Reparatus, one who was thus treated, who speaks plainly, and who has a particular respect shown him in the palace of the Emperor Zeno, especially by the Empress.' Aeneas, of Gaza, a Platonic philosopher, was at that time at Constantinople, and writes thus in the conclusion of his Dialogue on the Resurrection: 'I myself saw them, herd them speak, and wondered, that their utterance could be so articulate. I searched for the organ of speech, and not trusting my ears, was resolved to have the proof of the eyes, Causing them to open their mouths, I saw that their tongues were plucked out even by the roots, and was then more surprised that they could live, than that they could speak.' Is this sufficient evidence? Hear more: Procopius, the historian, in his history of the Vandalic War, says, 'Huneric ordered the tongues of many to be cut out, who were afterwards seen in the streets of Constantinople when I was there, talking without any impediment, or feeling any inconvenience from what they had suffered.' Count Marcellinus, in his Chronicon, says, 'I have seen some of this company of faithful confessors at Constantinople, who had their tongues cut out, but spoke nevertheless without any imperfection in their utterance.' To name only one more witness, the great Emperor Justinian, in a constitution published by him for Africa, after it had fallen into his dominion, testifies, that he had beheld the same." 10 --------------------------------- 10. Milner's History of the Church of Christ, Ed. 1824. Vol. ii, p. 505 _______________________________ Miracles Beyond Human Understanding Can speech be effected without a tongue or can the earth be hung on nothing? Yes, God is the God of miracles. Speech without tongues or sight without eyes are all possible with God. The greatest miracle I have ever witnessed, was experienced by Ronald Coyne in the 1950s. As a boy Ronald was playing with a piece of bailing wire and accidentally pierced his eye. His eyeball had to be removed and replaced with a flat glass insert. Young Ronald soon attended a healing meeting and went up for the healing of a common cold. The lady evangelist noticed his eye was off center and was about to pray for its healing when Ronald's mother stood to tell the evangelist not to bother. However, the mother was instantly silenced and fell limp under the power of God! When Ronald went home he discovered he could see with or without his glass eye. In about two weeks his parents finally were convinced of his unique miracle. Ronald Coyne later began to minister and show what God had done. I attended two of his meetings in a small country church. When Brother Coyne arrived, I felt the same anointing as I had known in the Jack Coe healing crusades of 30 years before. God was truly present to heal. Brother Coyne asked Clarance Eans (of Pulaski, VA) and myself to cover his good eye with a handkerchief and role of bandage tape. There was no way to see through his good eye. Then Brother Coyne called for anyone to come forward and bring something for him to read. I knew all the comers and he knew none of them. I was at home and he was the guest. On that day I saw a miracle that was unexplainable and impossible! Simply put -- Brother Coyne could see and read any thing that anyone handed him. During the meeting God was present to heal. I received a healing and two members from my present church also received special healing touches from God. Some people were anointed some were not but God was healing right and left. There was no hype or hypnotism. Emotionalism was at a low for that particular congregation. Brother Coyne's message was simply "come forward you unbelievers and see what God has done." Finally, all were invited to receive Christ as their personal savior. If you find it difficult to grasp this story, please do not feel ashamed. Before meeting Brother Coyne, I wondered if his healing was genuine. After seeing the mighty hand of God I will never be the same. Truly, with God all things are possible! As Years Go Forward Throughout the second and third centuries, the gifts of the Spirit, including tongues and prophecy, were documented as being alive in the Church. Later, when the Roman government physically organized the Christian Church the apostles message was progressively diluted with elements of non-Christian mythology.11 Thus, the record of true Gospel miracles becomes increasingly sparse or clouded as the dark ages advance. Furthermore, the Roman Church largely destroyed the writings of all nonconforming groups.12 During that period an unnumbered multitude of so called heretics died for their faith. Among these persecuted Christians were many who were filled with the Spirit and enjoyed God's miraculous gifts. God has never left himself without a true witness. --------------------------------- 11. The Two Babylons, -- Rev. Alexander Hislop, Loizeaux Brother, Neptune, New Jersey 12A Short History of the Italian Waldenses, Who Have Inhabited the Valleys of the Cotton Alps From Ancient Times to the Present, by Sophia V. Bompaiani, A.S. Barnes And Co., 1897 _________________________________
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