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Why don’t we see miracles like the apostles did? | The danger of delusion | otelders

In this recording, Archimandrite Athanasios Mytilinaios (1927-2006), answers the question: “Why do we see so few miracles today?” He also talks about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the ‘speaking in tongues’ and offers us the examples of modern day ascetics from Mount Athos. “Saint John Chrysostom says because, quite simply, the faith was established and from then on ‘speaking in tongues’ as well as the many miracles were superfluous… So, do not look for miracles!”

Audio source: “Answers to Sunday school questions”, no. 119, March 8, 1987 (in Greek)

Fr. Athanasios Mytilinaios:

Another question says: “Why are not we seeing many miracles in our days?” Of course, here, he or she who asks the question would probably like to add: “in relation to the ones [miracles] we read in the Holy Scripture.”

Surely, at some point, «ο ψαλμωδός»/the psalmodos [i.e. King David] says, [he] who lived 500 years after the Exodus of Hebrews from Egypt, or [even] more recently, «ψαλμωδοί»/psalmodoi, as it was not just [King] David… Not all the 150 Psalms were written by [King] David, there are others. “Lord where are the ancient miracles that you performed …[Psalm 43]” Meaning the ones that you performed to our fathers and we heard about them, “where are they [to be found]?” Surely, [people of] every era claim that in the past more miracles were taking place. But let’s take a closer look to this.

The miracle is nothing but a sign [«σημείον»] for the non-believers. Conversely, for the believers, the miracles is not… Because, Apostle Paul says crystal-clear in 1 Corinthians 14:22 “Therefore, tongues are for a sign …” that is speaking in tongues on Pentecost day. What was the most impressive of all the gifts that the Holy Spirit provided? “Speaking in tongues.” This is what impressed the modern Pentecostals who are heretics, who are Protestant heretics and [they] assert: “Why should we not possess [the gift] of ‘speaking in tongues’ today? Because we became unworthy, that’s why we do not speak in tongues. And the poor ones “speak in tongues” but in a demonic manner now. They say inarticulate things that nobody understands, not even the people who pronounce them. They [claim] to speak a bit of Turkish, a bit of English, a bit of French, a bit of things that don’t make sense. Is this the gift of the Holy Spirit? We come to offend the gift of the Holy Spirit in this way. Anyway, [the question] is not about that.“Speaking in tongues” had to make an impression at the time since the faith did not yet exist. From the moment the faith was established, “speaking in tongues” was abandoned. I would [even] say to you that “speaking in tongues” was limited in the age of the Apostles. Later on, this gift of “speaking in tongues” was not “activated”. Why is that? Saint John the Chrysostom says because, quite simply, the faith was established and from then on “speaking in tongues” as well as the many miracles were superfluous.

Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:22: “Therefore tongues are for a sign” (see… a sign, a miracle) “not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.” That’s why I said that prophecy is a great thing. Of course, if one witnesses a miracle, he might be impressed, he might glorify God. But, if you ask me, I would not wish to witness a miracle. The miracle—that I came to know the [W]ord of God and Jesus Christ through the word of God, [itself], and the mysteries of our church—is enough for me. Pay attention, I would not wish for one… do not be puzzled by that… Neither would I want to see the face of Jesus Christ here [on earth].

Let me take this last one. I would not want to [see the face], because in case I did so—a [personal] vanity is lurking in most cases, and instead of Christ, comes the devil and what happens then? Sometime, this was told to me by a modern ascetic in Mount Athos. A woman was saying: “My Christ, I won’t be seeing you in the next world, as a sinful woman that I am. Show me Your face in this world.” So, at some point, she saw Christ in the Holy Chalice. She was amazed. It went to her head, and she would not correct her life [from then on]. And she was saying in pride and vanity “I saw Christ.” This woman did not lead a spiritual life on the basis [of the argument] that she saw Christ. This is where the great danger lies. Since I am not strong in faith and I do not know, I do not have purity of the heart so that I can say with certainty that I won’t become prideful… I would not want to see the face of Christ here. The Lord says you are going to ask and you are going to beg to see my face just once after I leave this world but you will not. He reserves it for the next world — where we will indeed see Christ. Let us not wish… because in depth lies infidelity. Why? It is the same with always wishing to witness a miracle. As if I want to convince myself that I need to see something in order to believe. If you are a believer, you won’t ask for miracles. You will make do with what you have met. Nothing else! As I told you, there is also the danger of prelest.

Let us be careful with this so that we ask nothing but to only stay firm in the faith. The time will come that we will see the face of God, if the Lord makes us worthy to see His face. So, do not ask for miracles. The ones who ask for miracles, and I emphasize this, when the Antichrist comes and performs fake miracles, they will be so much impressed that they will succumb to his miracles. Some months ago, a question coming from you asked: “In case he [the Antichrist] performs such miracles, how can we not believe in him?” Do you see now? Despite the warning that they are going to be fake miracles and that we should not pay attention there and follow him… the ones who ask for miracles will fall victims to their own asking and they will worship the Antichrist. While those who do not ask for miracles, they will be saved. The devil appeared to an ascetic sometime and told him: “I am Christ.” The ascetic answered to him: “Christ told us that they are going to tell you Christ is here, Christ is there … but do not believe in them.” The hypothetical “Christ” which was in this case the devil, vanished [after these words].

So, do not look for miracles!

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