Paul is using hyperbole when he says though I have all faith. He did not have all faith nor did he have all knowledge. Only Christ had all faith and all knowledge. Paul never removed a mountain though he was a mighty man for God.
Well, that's your stance on the issue, but it doesn't really have much to do with this part of our conversation up to now, whether, later in the chapter, Paul is speaking of knowledge in general or a subset of it as you seem to believe.
Paul and Barnabas were relating to the apostles at Jerusalem that the works God was doing in saving Gentile souls was the same as God was doing for Jews. The signs were an evidence for the Jews present not for the Gentiles.
Circular reasoning. Where is the onramp to your round highway of circular reasoning? You haven't presented any evidence at all that signs are only for Gentiles. You showed a verse that the Jews required a sign. They probably required that the meat they bought from four-legged beasts be from animals that had their throats slit that had split hooves and chewed the cud. But that doesn't mean a Gentile couldn't buy the same kind of meat and eat it.
God did signs for Jews. That doesn't mean He didn't do signs for Gentiles. There is no indication that there were any Jews present other than Paul and Barnabas when the lame man was healed through Paul and the pagan audience tried to sacrifice to them. Since there are still Jews today, believing and unbelieving, this argument of yours is not even an argument for signs ceasing.
You are committing a serious logical error. Jews requiring a sign 1) tells us what THEY wanted. 2) It doesn't say whether Gentiles required a sign or whether God would do signs for Gentiles for His purposes.
If I say, "Elvis wore blue suede shoes" that doesn't mean that no one else in history wore blue suede shoes. I can apply the same 'logic' to prove that no one goes to the bathroom anymore. After all, Saul relieved himself in a cave, so therefore, no one ever relieves him or herself anymore. That's the same type of 'logic' you are using.
Jews despised Gentiles and wanted nothing to do with them.
Some of the Judean Jews were like that. But it is likely that a number of Hellenistic Jews, a racial minority, who had to interact with Gentiles and do business dealings with them to some extent to survive were probably a bit more tolerant.[/quote]
A correct understanding of the scripture and a correct knowledge of Gods nature very much supports the position.
You should present at least some Biblical evidence that actually supports what you are saying and address why you think the scriptures that flatly contradict your viewpoint don't do so.
Joel certainly prophecies that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on all flesh. God is saving Jews and Gentiles by grace through faith. Just as God promised Abraham.
The passage associates this with prophesying. Paul addressed the former pagan lifestyle of his audience before Paul wrote to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts like prophecy, and chapter 14 says 'For ye may all prophesy....'
Peter said of the Gentiles:
Acts 15
7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Then there is I Corinthians 12-14. The Spirit pours out gifts like prophesying on Jew and Gentile alike. You have no right to forbid him based on your faulty interpretations that contradict other scripture.
You shall know them by their fruits. Carnal is a carnal does.
It is ironic that you should say that when the Bible teaches that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God.
Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Miracles signs and wonders do not produce faith. Only the word of God stirred in the heart by the Holy Spirit produces faith that receives the saving grace of God.
You need to study the Bible more carefully and accept what it says.
Miracles can lead others to pay more attention to the word of God,
Acts 8
6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city. (NKJV)
Acts 13
11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”
And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul
believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. (NKJV, emphasis mine)
None of these people believed without first hearing the word. They have to believe something. But miracles in the Bible certainly play a role in evangelism, and so people believe without seeing miracles when they hear the word, some people believe the word when they see miracles, and some people don't believe whether they see miracles or not. You have a false dichotomy in the way you address the issue, as if miracles were antithetical to faith. You need to consider the verses that contradict your viewpoint, also, not just pick a prooftext that shows someone did not believe when they saw miracles.
Consider Jesus' words to Thomas in John 20:27
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side:
and be not faithless, but believing.
It would have been much better if Thomas had believed without seeing and touching the evidence of the miracle. He missed out on a blessing by doing so. But when he witnessed the miracle, he did believe. And Jesus was willing to have Thomas witness a miracle so that he would have faith.
But haven't I pointed this out to you? I suspect I have. You should spend some time in prayer and meditating on all relevant scriptures before posting. It is very obvious here that you are wrong about your doctrine. Why not humble yourselves and submit to what the scriptures teach? You would do well to stop pontificating, since you have been proven wrong, stop attacking, and pray and meditate about these things. If you were wrong about this, can't you allow yourself to consider that you might be wrong about other aspects of the issues related to spiritual gifts? God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
I don't know what the Chinese got I only hope it was genuine saving grace but only God knows. Those who followed Jesus turned back when the Lord gave them doctrine. They followed for the miracles but fell away in the face of sound doctrine.
Read the passage again. Jesus did not rebuke them for following him for miracles, and that wasn't why they were following Him.
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Jesus did not do signs and miracles for certain people who had the wrong attitude, but I can't find a single time He rebuked people for wanting to see His miracles. Jesus is the Word incarnate, and His miracles taught a lesson. After He cast out a demon, there were those who were astonished at his teaching. Sergius Paulus was astonished at the teaching of the Lord after Elymas was struck blind. The Lord taught and expressed the nature of God through His signs and wonders. We still read about Jesus' miracles in the Gospel to learn about God. We should appreciate these works of the Lord. You have an unbiblical anti-miracle and anti-gifts prejudice that causes you to interpret one passage of scripture in a way that contradicts another.
