The Power, The Purpose & That Which Is Perfect
- Ray Reynolds
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
We live in a world deeply fascinated by the supernatural. Turn on any streaming service, browse a bookstore, or look at pop culture trends, and you will find an endless obsession with the spirit world, demonic possession, and dramatic exorcisms. But as Bible students, we have to look past Hollywood’s smoke and mirrors and ask a fundamental question: “What do the Scripture actually teach?”
When we open the New Testament, we notice a striking phenomenon. There was a sudden, intense explosion of overt demonic activity during the earthly ministry of Jesus and His Apostles. Yet today, we do not see those same public, miraculous displays or localized exorcisms. Why the difference? Did God change, or did the role of the miraculous serve a highly specific, temporary purpose that has already been fulfilled?
To understand this, we must examine what the Bible says about the power of miracles, their specific purpose, and the arrival of "that which is perfect."
1. The Reality of Demon Possession in the New Testament
Scripture treats spiritual warfare as an absolute reality. However, the overt, physical manifestion of demon possession peaks drastically during a very narrow window of history: the lives of Christ and the Apostles.
This unique historical concentration wasn’t a coincidence. The Light of the World had stepped into time and space, throwing the kingdom of darkness into an absolute panic. Satan’s forces mobilized because the King had arrived to crush them.
When we look closely at biblical demon possession, we see two defining characteristics: 1) Physical and Mental Torment: Demons caused severe agony, driving individuals to self-harm, muteness, blindness, or granting them supernatural physical strength, as seen with the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5:1-5. 2) Immediate Recognition of Christ: Unlike the people of Judea, who often doubted, the demons never questioned who Jesus was. They trembled and openly confessed Him, crying out, *"What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"* (Luke 8:28).
Most importantly, we must notice “how” these demons were cast out. Modern fictional portrayals and pagan rituals involve elaborate, hours-long incantations, holy water, and physical wrestling matches. By contrast, the method used by Jesus and the Apostles was radically simple. They cast out spirits “instantly, completely, and by a simple word of authority”. As Matthew 8:16 records: "When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick."
2. The True Purpose of New Testament Miracles
Why did God allow these signs, wonders, and exorcisms to happen in the first century? A common misconception today is that miracles were performed simply as acts of benevolence—that Jesus healed people just to eradicate physical suffering.
While Jesus was certainly moved by deep compassion, the primary purpose of His miracles went far deeper. They were His divine credentials.
In the first century, the New Testament had not yet been written. When an Apostle stood up to preach a message claiming it was from God, how could the listeners know he wasn't a fraud? The miracle was the divine stamp of approval. It confirmed both the messenger and the message.
The New Testament makes this explicit in several places. Acts 2:22 says,"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know..." Also, Hebrews 2:3-4 says, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness with them—both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?"
Mark 16:20 summarizes this perfectly, stating that the Apostles went out and preached everywhere, "the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs." Once a bank note is verified as authentic, you do not keep checking the security strip every single time it changes hands. Similarly, once the spoken Word of the gospel was confirmed by miracles, those supernatural credentials had done their job.
3. The Fading Away of Miraculous Power
This brings us to the core of the issue: Why don't we see these gifts today? The Apostle Paul directly answers this in his first letter to the church at Corinth. The Corinthian church was highly immature, fractured, and obsessed with the showy, miraculous spiritual gifts—specifically tongues and prophecy. In I Corinthians 13, Paul pauses to show them a "more excellent way." He explains that while the miraculous gifts were necessary for a time, they were inherently temporary.
Paul says, "Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." (I Corinthians 13:8-10)
Defining "That Which is Perfect"
Many people mistakenly assume "that which is perfect" refers to Jesus or Heaven. However, in the original Greek language of the New Testament, the word used is “teleion” which is in the neuter gender (ruling out a person like Jesus) and means complete, mature, or fully developed.
Paul uses a beautiful analogy of childhood and adulthood to explain this. When the church was in its infancy, it relied on piecemeal, "in part" revelations. One prophet would receive a piece of God's mind, a tongue-speaker would receive another, and someone with the gift of knowledge would receive a third. It was a scaffolded, incomplete system.
But what happens when the complete, fully mature revelation of God is delivered? The scaffolding is torn down. Once the completed New Testament canon was fully revealed and compiled, the partial, temporary miraculous gifts naturally faded away. We no longer need a prophet to give us a partial revelation on a Sunday morning; we have the *complete* revelation of God bound in our hands.
Historical evidence validates this scriptural truth. By the end of the first century, as the Apostles died out and could no longer pass on the Holy Spirit's gifts through the laying on of their hands (Acts 8:14-18), these overt signs diminished. The written Word became the sole authority required to completely equip the believer for every single good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).
Walking in the Light of the Perfect Word
As Christians today, we don't need to look for dynamic signs, wonders, or sensationalized exorcisms. In fact, looking for them undermines the sufficiency of what God has already given us. We have something far better than a temporary sign: we have the living, breathing, and complete Word of God.
Satan’s strategy has shifted. His primary weapon today is not physical, overt demon possession. He doesn't need to make people foam at the mouth to destroy them; he simply uses deception, false teaching, culture, and doubt. As Paul warns, "Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (II Corinthians 11:14).
Our spiritual warfare is fought not with modern-day exorcisms, but by equipping ourselves daily with the complete Armor of God (Ephesians 6). We can rest in the absolute assurance that Jesus Christ has already completely bound and defeated the powers of darkness on the cross, having *"spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it"* (Colossians 2:15).
Trust the confirmed Word. Live by faith, not by sight, and anchor your soul in the perfect, unchanging truth of God’s Holy Word. Read, study and obey the truth found in the Scriptures.
You are loved.
Ray Reynolds