It was "not an issue" because people were not so blind as to accept such dubious claims.
There have always been Simon Magus followers but not to the degree as they are today.
A. What is the source of this fictional narrative? Did you learn it from your Church or did you just invent it whole cloth out of your own imagination? The ECF not only
believed in the spiritual gifts, they
reported that they were
ONGOING during their lifetime which was in the first two centuries. That this was indeed their belief is plain from their own writings
B.
Justin Martyr (approx.
AD 100-165), who was perhaps the most important 2nd century
apologist, was especially clear about the operation of gifts in his day. Speaking to the Jews he wrote:
“For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you ought to understand that [the gifts] formerly among your nation have been transferred to us. And just as there were false prophets contemporaneous with your holy prophets, so are there now many false teachers amongst us, of whom our Lord forewarned us to beware; so that in no respect are we deficient, since we know that He foreknew all that would happen to us after His resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven”
(Dialogue with Trypho, ch.39)
.
Justin Martyr was given this name because he was
MARTYRED after daring to teach the gospel in the capital city of Rome.
C.
Irenaeus of Lyons (approx
. AD 120-202), was certainly the most important and influential theologian of his century wrote:
“Wherefore, also, those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform [miracles], so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ], and join themselves to the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. And what shall I more say? It is not possible to name the number of the gifts which the Church, [scattered] throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and which she exerts day by day for the benefit of the Gentiles, neither practicing deception upon any, nor taking any reward from them [on account of such miraculous interpositions]. For as she has received freely from God, freely also does she minister [to others]”
(Against Heresies, Book 2, ch.32, 4).
D. Both
Justin Martyr and
Irenaeus were well aware that the Devil sometimes performed supernatural works but, unlike you, they did not conflate the activity of the Holy Spirit with that of the Devil. Of course, since you did not even attempt to prove your case, your accusation amounts to nothing but a
gratuitous assertion. Has it not occurred to you that the same case could have been leveled against the works of the Apostles since they were
contemporaneous with
Simon Magus?
E. In fact, the Jews
did attribute Jesus works to that of Satan:
…23 The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David? 24
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”
(Matthew 12:23-24)
Tell me, does
your Church
cast out demons as Jesus and the Apostles did or is this a part of the scriptures which you have declared to be obsolete?
F.Another early heretic,
Marcion, claimed that his cult also manifested the spiritual gifts. Tertullian rebuked him, contrasting what they did with the works of the Spirit that were going on in the Church:
“Let Marcion then exhibit, as gifts of his god, some prophets, such as have not spoken by human sense, but with the Spirit of God, such as have both predicted things to come, and have made manifest the secrets of the heart; . . . Now all these signs (of spiritual gifts) are forthcoming from my side without any difficulty, and they agree, too, with the rules, and the dispensations, and the instructions of the Creator”
(Against Marcion, v.8, ANF, 3:446-47).
It is obvious from what you have said here that you totally ignorant of the history of the Church and, what is more, have
no interest in learning about anything that runs counter to the position of your Church.
