27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.–1 Corinthians 12
Theologically I believe that miracles can still happen under the sovereign plan of God, but that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased to be the norm for churches in the way that they were in the first century. Therefore I believe that apostles, prophets, and miraculous healers are no longer valid as official current offices of the church in the same way they were in the 1st century. God is of course able to work any miracle he chooses, but that miracle will for the good of the church be obvious and verifiable and not merely some private, subjective matter. As you ponder your own theological position, I invite you to consider 7 questions.
- Was 1 Corinthians 12 something that described the church in the first generation or all generations?
- Are the gifts about you or about the church?
- Should the world accept a miracle that was not obvious or verifiable to everyone?
- Are their any more apostles or was that a specific gifting for a pivotal time?
- If apostles have ceased in the everyday function of the church, is it possible that other gifts/roles have ceased as regular church offices?
- Is the New Testament complete and no longer being revealed by God to apostles and prophets?
- Even if they were to desire higher gifts, wasn’t Paul about to show them in chapter 13 something to desire even more?–JMB
Joel M Bradshaw 
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