Manifestations of Spiritual Gifts
I have recently been involved in a "study" (it seemed more a debate and I withdrew for the moment) regarding the gifts/sign-gifts of the Apostles and how they may or may not be valid today. Since withdrawing from that study, I have found much support in scripture to the validity of "miracles" today. Just this morning in 1 Cor where Paul discussed his "thorn" spoke of God's will to heal or not. My understanding has been that healing, along with other signs and gifts is still valid today, but, as with anything of God, is according to his will, and not only of our faith. Paul had faith, to the degree that God took him to the third heaven. Some have tried to pursuade me that all signs, miracles, etc., ended with the apostles.
My request to any who read this is, how are we to respond to those who have been taught and attempt to adhere to these teachings? I say attempt because of the double-speak I experienced, while putting forth scripture to validate that God can, will, and does desire to give healing (other than spiritual via salvation) to some for the purpose of demonstrating his power to the end of the age. I know He has healed today because He has healed or "delivered" me from many affictions, as well as others who have testified. It is on that basis that I stand firm.
There are many issues here
There are many issues here that people misunderstand. There are many that are involved in these discussions that often try to boil things down way to simply. For example, I have several Pentecostal friends. I am not a Pentecostal myself. In our discussions, what I found that they were *hearing* me say was that I was denying miracles. Which is rather absurd, as anybody that claims to be a Christian knows that Christianity is based off of a miracle, i.e. the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter morning.
I think part of the problem comes from different upbringings in education. People who are more classically trained see these things way differently. One difference that I can think of off the top of my head is this: the difference between a miracle and a miracle worker.
Take two books, C.S. Lewis's "Miracles" and Jack Hayford's "Surprised by the Spirit." Lewis makes the distinction between a miracle and a miracle worker, Hayford does not. I think that Hayford's argument is weak because of this. For the curious, just look at his table of miracles in Genesis the back of his book. He lists creation, the flood, etc. These are not miracles brought around by a miracle worker. These are miracles brought around by God with out an intermediate.
If you go to the most "conservative" cessationist church, (which most Pentecostals think do not believe in miracles) you will find something really interesting, they are always praying for the infirmed and elderly. You will also find that they are not that surprised when someone is healed, nor are they surprised when someone is not, because they are praying "God's will be done."
Any way, there are other things, but that is one issue I have come across.