Joseph of Arimathea and the Great Stone by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=3504

Joseph of Arimathea and the Great Stone

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Recently, a gentleman contacted our offices questioning some of the events surrounding the burial of Christ. He specifically wanted to know about the likelihood of Joseph of Arimathea being able to roll “a great stone” (Matthew 27:60) against the entrance of the tomb. A person can understand how one man could transport the body of Jesus, wrap it in linen, and lay it in a tomb (27:59-60), but how could one man roll a “very large” (Mark 16:4) stone over the opening of the tomb of Jesus?
First, one should keep in mind that Joseph was very familiar with this tomb. He was the owner of it and also the one who had hewn the tomb out of the rock (Matthew 27:60; cf. Isaiah 53:9). It could be that he had made provision so that a large stone could easily be set against the entrance of the tomb (even by one man), yet when set in place, it might be extremely difficult to remove (even for several men). If the entrance of the tomb, for example, was at a lower elevation, and the large stone was on an incline, temporarily held in place by smaller stones and/or by a slight indentation in the ground, Joseph might easily have been able to roll the stone against the entrance by himself.
Second, and more importantly, Joseph was not by himself. Although Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not mention anyone else helping Joseph roll the stone against the tomb’s entrance, they also do not expressly state or imply that he was alone. In fact, John records that Nicodemus helped Joseph prepare Jesus’ body for burial, and afterwards “they laid Jesus” in the tomb (John 19:42, emp. added). In truth, since none of the gospel writers indicates that only one or two men buried Jesus, an untold number of people (e.g., Joseph’s servants) may have helped Joseph and Nicodemus roll the “great stone” against the entrance of Jesus’ tomb.
It is imperative for Bible students and skeptics to keep in mind as they read through Scripture, and especially the gospel accounts, that silence does not negate supplementation. Just because the synoptic writers were silent about Nicodemus helping Joseph bury Jesus, does not mean Nicodemus could not have helped Joseph or that John was mistaken. Furthermore, simply because the gospel writers were silent about others (such as servants that a “rich man” like Joseph probably had—Matthew 27:57) who might have helped Joseph and Nicodemus roll the large stone over the entrance of the tomb, does not mean there were not any. In short, nothing in the gospel accounts concerning Joseph of Arimathea or the great stone that covered the entrance of Jesus’ tomb is impossible or discrepant.

From Mark Copeland... The Family Of Jesus (Mark 3:20-21)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                     The Family Of Jesus (3:20-21)

INTRODUCTION

1. The ministry of Jesus in Galilee certainly drew the attention of
   many...
   a. Multitudes followed Him everywhere - Mk 3:7-8
   b. Jesus' very life was endangered by the crowds - Mk 3:9-10
   c. The house where he stayed was besieged - Mk 3:19b-20

2. It also drew the attention of His physical family...
   a. Who were concerned about what they heard - Mk 3:21a
   b. Who sought to take Him into custody - Mk 3:21b
   c. For they even questioned His sanity - Mk 3:21c

[The reaction of His family is interesting, somewhat understandable.
Before we consider their reaction, and how they later responded to
Jesus, let's review what is revealed in the Scriptures about...]

I. THE MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY

   A. HIS PARENTS...
      1. Mary - His birth mother
         a. A virgin until Jesus was born - Mt 1:18-25; Lk 1:26-38
         b. Visited her cousin Elizabeth - Lk 1:39-56
         c. Gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem - Lk 2:1:19
         d. Took Jesus to Jerusalem when He was 12 - Lk 2:48-51
         e. Present with Jesus at a marriage in Cana - Jn 2:1-10
         f. Sought Jesus when He was teaching - Mt 12:46; Mk 3:31; Lk 8:19
         g. Present at the cross, committed to John's care - Jn 19:27
         h. With the disciples in Jerusalem following the ascension - Ac 1:14
      2. Joseph - His adoptive father
         a. Descendant of David - Mt 1:1-16
         b. Took Mary as wife, did not know her until Jesus was born
            - Mt 1:18-25
         c. From Nazareth, enrolled at Bethlehem - Lk 2:1-5
         d. Presented Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem, returned to
            Nazareth - Lk 2:22-30
         e. Fled to Egypt, later re-settled in Nazareth - Mt 2:13-15,
            19-23
         f. Took Jesus to Jerusalem when He was 12 - Lk 2:48-51
         g. Supposed father of Jesus, a carpenter - Mt 13:55; Lk 3:23;
            4:22; Jn 1:45; 6:42
      -- Jesus was blessed to be born of a virtuous woman, and raised by
         a just man

   B. HIS SIBLINGS...
      1. Brothers - James, Joses, Simon, Judas
         a. All four mentioned by name on one occasion - Mk 6:3; Mt 13:55
         b. They accompanied Jesus and His mother from Cana to Capernaum
            - Jn 2:11-12
         c. Later, with Mary they sought to see Jesus - Mk 3:31; Mt 12:46; Lk 8:19-20
      2. Sisters - Mary, Salome
         a. There were at least two sisters - Mt 13:56; Mk 6:3
         b. No names are given in the Scriptures
         c. Later Christian literature gives the names Mary and Salome
            - Protevangelium of James 19:3-20:4; Gospel of Philip 59:
            6-11; Epiphanius, Pan. 78.8.1; 78.9.6
      -- Jesus was blessed to have a number of half-siblings

[Some believe these "brothers" and "sisters" were actually step-siblings
or cousins, that His mother Mary remained a virgin all her life.  In any
case, let's now direct our attention to...]

II. THE MISGIVINGS IN HIS FAMILY

   A. BEFORE HIS RESURRECTION...
      1. Some thought He was crazy - Mk 3:21
         a. They thought "He is out of His mind"
         b. They endeavored to take custody of Him
      2. His brothers did not believe in Him - Jn 7:3-5
         a. They taunted Him to prove Himself
         b. To show Himself openly to the world
      -- When their brother claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God,
         who can blame them?

   B. AFTER HIS RESURRECTION...
      1. Jesus appeared to James - 1Co 15:8
      2. His brothers became His disciples - Ac 1:14
      3. James
         a. Became identified as "the Lord's brother", a pillar in the
            church, likely author of the epistle of James - Ac 12:17;
            15:13; 21:18; Ga 1:19; 2:19; Jm 1:1
         b. Martyred by being thrown from the pinnacle of the temple
            - Josephus, Eusebius
      4. Joses - little known, evidently became a traveling missionary
         - 1Co 9:5
      5. Simon - little known, likewise a traveling missionary - 1Co 9:5
      6. Judas - believed to be the author of the epistle of Jude - Ju
         1:1
      -- Jesus' resurrection from the dead overcame any misgivings by
         His brothers

CONCLUSION

1. The initial unbelief of some members of His family is
   understandable...
   a. Mary never doubted, for she alone really knew the truth about
      Jesus' birth
   b. But the doubt of His brothers was a normal reaction to His
      outlandish claims

2. Their initial unbelief and eventual faith can be thought-provoking...
   a. They did not believe despite the miracles of His ministry (why
      not?)
   b. Yet they later chose to follow His apostles and suffer for His
      cause (how come?)

3. The transformation in the skeptical members of Jesus' family is
   easily understood...
   a. If in fact Jesus did rise from the dead and appear to them
      afterward!
   b. Thus "The Family Of Jesus" serves as a powerful testimony to the
      resurrection of Jesus!

One last thought:  if Jesus was not truly born of a virgin, what kind of
mother would let her son suffer like Jesus did on the cross and not say
a word?  A simple admission that Joseph (or someone else) was the father
of Jesus, and He could have come down from that cross.  Her silence
speaks volumes...!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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From Mark Copeland... The Apostles Of Christ (Mark 3:13-19)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                    The Apostles Of Christ (3:13-19)

INTRODUCTION

1. Important to the ministry of Jesus was the appointment and training
   of His apostles...
   a. Men who would follow Him and continue His work after His death
   b. Men who themselves would experience great suffering and martyrdom

2. In our text (Mk 3:13-19), we read of their appointment...
   a. To be with Him and later sent out to preach, heal, and cast out
      demons
   b. Luke tells us that the selection was proceeded by a night of
      prayer - Lk 6:12

[In another lesson (on Mt 10:1-4), attention is given to the identity
and history of each man.  In this lesson, I wish to focus on their
overall ministry for Christ and the world.  To wit, they served as...]

I. WITNESSES FOR THE RESURRECTION

   A. THEY WERE EYEWITNESSES OF JESUS' RESURRECTION...
      1. Jesus had shown Himself alive through various proofs - Ac 1:1-3
      2. Jesus commissioned them to testify concerning Him - Ac 1:8
      3. Peter explained that the apostles were to be witnesses for the
         resurrection - Ac 1:21-22
      4. Thus they testified again and again - Ac 2:32; 3:15; 4:33;
         5:30-32; 10:39-41; 13:29-31

   B. OFFERING A SOLID BASIS FOR OUR FAITH...
      1. Jesus expected us to believe in Him through their word - Jn 17:20
         a. Apart from their gospels and epistles, we know little of
            Jesus
         b. They tell us of His life, miracles, and resurrection
      2. The manner of their lives and death give credibility to their
         testimony
         a. They suffered greatly for their faith - 1Co 4:9-13; 2 Co 11:23-28
         b. All but John suffered martyrdom

[The apostles served the important role of providing reliable testimony
that Jesus arose from the dead, so that our faith in Him might rest on a
solid basis!  They also served as...]

II. AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

   A. REPRESENTATIVES WITH A MESSAGE...
      1. Sent out to preach the gospel to every person - Mk 16:15-16
      2. Given a "ministry of reconciliation" - 2Co 5:18-19
      3. Proclaiming that message as Christ's ambassadors - 2Co 5:20-21
      4. Even when they were bound in prison - Ep 6:19-20

   B. TELLING THE STORY OF SALVATION...
      1. Pleading with all to be reconciled to God - 2Co 5:20
      2. Pleading as co-workers with Christ, not to receive the grace of
         God in vain - 2Co 6:1
      3. Warning of the danger of refusing Christ and His message - He 12:
         25-29
      4. Warning of what will happen to those who obey not the gospel
         - 2Th 1:7-9

[The apostles as ambassadors of Christ revealed the good news of
salvation to the world.  Have we accepted their message in faithful
obedience?  But consider also their role as...]

III. TEACHERS FOR THE DISCIPLES

   A. CONTINUING THE WORK BEGUN BY JESUS...
      1. Jesus did not reveal all things during His earthly ministry
         - Jn 16:12
      2. The Holy Spirit would reveal all the truth to the apostles - Jn 16:13-14
      3. The Holy Spirit would remind them of things Jesus said - Jn 14:
         25-26
      4. This was part of the Great Commission given to them - Mt 28:
         19-20
      5. Declaring the whole counsel of God - Ac 20:27
      6. Teaching all things that pertain to life and godliness - 2 Pe 1:3

   B. BECOMING THE AUTHORITY FOR THE CHURCH...
      1. Continuing steadfastly in their doctrine - Ac 2:42
      2. Receiving their words as the word of God - 1Th 2:13
      3. Accepting what they wrote as the commandments of the Lord
         - 1Co 14:37
      4. Rejecting them is thus paramount to rejecting Christ - 1Th 4:
         1-2,8; cf. Lk 10:16

[Through His apostles, Jesus continues to instruct His church as we
continue steadfastly in their teachings!  Finally, the importance of the
apostles is seen by their role in the...]

IV. FOUNDATION FOR THE CHURCH

   A. TOGETHER WITH CHRIST...
      1. The church is built on Christ, as the chief cornerstone - Ac 4:
         10-12; 1Co 3:11
      2. But the apostles are also part of the foundation of the
         spiritual building - Ep 2:19-22
      3. Their names are even depicted as written on the foundation for
         the New Jerusalem, which is the Lamb's bride (the church) - Re 21:9-10,14

   B. SERVING AS THE BASIS OF...
      1. Our faith, through their eyewitness testimony - 2Pe 1:16-18
      2. Our doctrine, through their teaching - Ac 2:42
      3. Our hope, through their message - Ep 3:5-6

CONCLUSION

1. The world owes a great debt to the apostles of Jesus Christ...
   a. Without whom they would know little of Jesus of Nazareth
   b. Without whom they would have little reason to believe in Him

2. As disciples of Christ, let us be sure to give them the honor and
   respect that is their due...
   a. By continuing steadfastly in their doctrine
   b. By respecting the authority of their doctrine

Indeed, the moment we begin to drift away from the apostles of Jesus
Christ, we begin to drift away from that great salvation made possible
by Him...! - cf. He 2:1-4

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Mark Copeland... Three Responses To Jesus (Mark 3:7-12)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                   Three Responses To Jesus (3:7-12)

INTRODUCTION

1. Our text describes the ongoing impact of Jesus' Galilean ministry...
   a. Great multitudes followed Jesus and His disciples - Mk 3:7-9
   b. They were drawn by His ability to heal the sick and cast out
      demons - Mk 3:10-12

2. Reflecting on this passage, I observed three distinct classes of
   individuals...
   a. The disciples of Jesus - Mk 3:7,9
   b. The great multitude - Mk 3:7-10
   c. The unclean spirits - Mk 3:11-12

[Upon further reflection, it occurred to me that these three distinct
classes illustrate "Three Responses To Jesus", and that everyone
responds to Jesus in one of three ways.  First, you have...]

I. THE COMMITTED

   A. LIKE THE DISCIPLES...
      1. Which included men like Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Levi
         (Matthew)
      2. Who answered the call to follow Jesus - cf. Mk 1:16-20; 2:14
      3. Who offered their service in whatever way He asked
         a. As when Jesus asked them to prepare a boat - cf. Mk 3:9
         b. As when Jesus would later send them out to preach - cf. Mk 3:13,14

   B. THE COMMITTED TODAY...
      1. Would include those who make up the Lord's church
      2. Who heed Jesus' call to discipleship - cf. Mt 28:19-20
      3. Who offer their energy and resources to the spread of Christ's
         kingdom
         a. By developing a Christ-like character - cf. 2Pe 1:5-11
         b. By developing a Christ-like service - cf. 1Pe 4:10-11

[Just as there committed followers of Jesus then, so there are today.
But there was another group of responders, those we might describe
as...]

II. THE CURIOUS

   A. LIKE THE MULTITUDE...
      1. Which included those looking to be healed, or perhaps just to
         see a miracle
      2. Though following Jesus from place to place, they were not true
         disciples
      3. But those seeking some sort of personal satisfaction, whom
         Jesus often drove away
         a. As when they followed Him after He fed the 5000 - cf. Jn 6:
            24-27
         b. As when He challenged them with the call to true
            discipleship - cf. Lk 14:25-27
      4. Of course, some would eventually take up the challenge and
         become true disciples

   B. THE CURIOUS TODAY...
      1. Would include those who may visit churches, even regularly
      2. But they are like "tire kickers"; they never fully commit
         themselves
      3. Perhaps they attend just to appease their conscience
         a. But they never obey the gospel - cf. Mk 16:15-16
         b. They just put it off, like the Athenians and Felix  - cf. Ac 17:32; 24:24-27
      4. Hopefully, one who is curious will eventually take the step to
         follow Jesus completely

[Finally, there are those whose response to Jesus is entirely negative,
whom we can categorize as...]

III. THE CONDEMNED

   A. LIKE THE UNCLEAN SPIRITS...
      1. Unclean spirits were demons, whose origin is uncertain
         (possibly fallen angels)
      2. They knew who Jesus was - cf. Mk 3:11
      3. They knew that torment awaited them - cf. Mt 8:29; also 2 Pe 2:4; Jude 1:6
      4. Yet they showed no desire to repent of their evil ways

   B. THE CONDEMNED TODAY...
      1. Would include those who persist in sin and refuse to repent
         - cf. He 10:26a
      2. For whom there is no forgiveness while they remain in that
         state - cf. He 10:26b-31
      3. Who often think lightly of sin, and mock those trying to do
         good - cf. 1Pe 4:3-4
      4. Yet they will one day have to answer, even confess Jesus - cf.
         1Pe 4:5; Php 2:9-11

CONCLUSION

1. Dear friend, in which group would you place yourself in your response
   to Jesus...?
   a. Are you among the committed - a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ?
   b. Are you among the curious - interested, but have not yet made the
      decision?
   c. Are you among the condemned - determined to resist God and refuse
      to follow Jesus?

2. One day, we will either be in the group of the committed or the
   condemned...
   a. The time for curiosity will be over
   b. We will either be saved or lost forever
   c. Today is time to make your choice!

As Paul wrote in his second epistle to the Corinthians:

   We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to
   receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: "IN AN ACCEPTABLE
   TIME I HAVE HEARD YOU, AND IN THE DAY OF SALVATION I HAVE HELPED
   YOU." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of
   salvation.
                                                       - 2Co 6:1-2

Receive God's grace by obeying the gospel of Christ, and join ranks with
those who are committed to following Jesus and serving Him through time
and eternity...! - cf. Tit 3:4-8

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Gary... My own little rainbow of blessing

I have heard it said that there are blessings at the end of the rainbow.  Others say that there is a pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow.  But, what about a very small rainbow? What about my rainbow, my blessings?  On this Thanksgiving day be sure to take time to thank God for our blessings. Now, we may have much or perhaps even very little in this world, but our rainbow (that is, OUR BLESSINGS) still abound. Consider this...

Ephesians, Chapter 1 (WEB)

3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ; 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love;  5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,  6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,  7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,  8 which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,  9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him  10 to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him;  11 in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will;  12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:  13 in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,  14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.

Those of us who are in Christ we are blessed beyond measure!!!  So, TODAY, BEFORE YOU GIVE THANKS FOR THE FOOD- Remember the blessings we have that are of a SPIRITUAL NATURE!!!  The food we enjoy today will supply us with the nourishment we need for the here-and-now, but God has given us blessings that will last FOREVER; and FOREVER is A very, very long time!!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... Luke 2:8-20: Don't be afraid

Luke 2:8-20: Don't be afraid

In Luke 2:8-20 the pastures are filled with sheep, the sky is filled with angelic glory and the shepherd hearts are filled with fear. And why wouldn’t they be afraid? Would you yawn your way through such an experience? But the angel of the Lord said, "Don’t be afraid." I wasn’t there but I know as sure as Sunday follows Saturday that he wasn’t yelling at them or bullying them into peace. Whatever his tone it wasn’t peevish and born out of impatience. It was assurance he was giving and not an order! No parent with a grain of sense would scream "enjoy yourself!" at the children thinking that that would enable them to do it. Yelling "live!" at a corpse doesn't work! 

The fear of the shepherds turned to joy when they heard the message the angel had to bring and when they checked it out at the stable. "Don’t be afraid because..." The reasons for their fear were dealt with in a message of assurance!

Some poor souls are born fearful, they are too high-strung. They don’t need a special occasion to make them tremble. They were born trembling and their social and family environments made the world an awful place. They aren’t one of the "beautiful people" or the "life and soul of the party" types so they’re forever hovering around on the outside of the circle, barely in touch and barely noticed. And as yet they aren’t able to tell those lovely stories about being "the kid that was never picked to play" but then things changed. For them nothing has yet changed and the deep fear that they never will is getting deeper! No one came along to kiss them and turn them from a frog into a prince and for them the beautiful song Somewhere over the Rainbow still ends with heartache and "why can’t I?"

And heartfelt religion doesn’t help them because the kind of religion they get is a ceaseless stream of moralizing, and "let’s all do better" and "let’s make his church grow" and "let’s get involved in the church’s programs" and "let’s give more money" and "let’s..." And it’s precisely because they take their religion seriously that these fearful people are even more afraid. Others are able to shrug and let the preacher babble on but not these people! They’re afraid not to take everything he says seriously but for more reasons than they know they can’t get up for the many challenges the vibrant ministers hand out. And then there are the fear-filled preachers...

Some fools among us mistake their fearlessness for faith. And more stupidly they somehow think they’re self-made! They never knew fear and came out of the womb ready to take on the world and when they came to Christ the assurance he offered only added to the calm that was already theirs as a result of genetic or neural circuitry, early life’s experiences or whatever. And because they were gifted and shaped into world-beaters they tend to think everyone should be the same. But they’re not the same! Those who are so well put together inside know no fear of rejection or failure, they career through life laughing at trouble and finding adventure in everything. Because they know no fear, or because when it comes they have the inner strength to shove it aside they’re tempted to look down on the fearful. For the brave among us the fear of the fearful is easily viewed as failure to be a true Christian and passages like Revelation 21:8 are brought in to threaten the fearful with hell. "God hasn't given us the spirit of fear," the fearful are told; but then nobody's claiming that he did but that doesn't change the fact that many of us are troubled by irrational fears! Keep feeding us something that will control fear and finally obliterate it.

You can’t make fearful people fearless by screaming at them or scorning them or threatening them with dire punishments because they're fearful. And it isn’t courage that leads us to savage such people—it’s stupidity and arrogance. If a man is brawling with a life-threatening cancer we rightly sympathize with him and speak encouragement and assurance to him. If a poor soul is brawling with paralysis through fear we demand that she heal herself! Who would choose to live the torment some of these people endure? Would you tell me that? But if we think we can’t help them then in God’s name let’s get out of the way and let others have a shot at it! I know people like us are a real burden and sometimes we're viewed as a real pain in the neck; that makes sense but Jesus took us in.

I don’t say all fear is of the same kind or that it runs equally deep in everyone’s experience and I’m sure that the help offered must be tailored depending on the person and his or her situation. I believe that what Christ said about the poor is true. In a world shaped like this "you will always have the poor with you" and in a world like this we’ll always have the fearful. I don’t know enough to heal all my own fears much less those of every one else but I know we need to dive into the massive truths of gospel that is brought to us in Jesus Christ. I know that we need to talk to people about their destiny as individuals and why they are in the world at all. I know that the God that came to us in Jesus Christ is a Father to us all and that the thought of him should strike joy into longing hearts. And I know that we need to restructure our whole thinking about suffering in the world and show it to be redemptive. However we speak or sing or behave it should be to echo the uplifting message of the angel to the shepherds, "Don’t be afraid because..." In God's name continue to give us reasons rather than your ranting.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.

Laying On of Hands by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=3782

Laying On of Hands

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

The ability to perform miracles in the first century church was granted by God in essentially two ways: baptism of the Holy Spirit and the laying on of the apostles’ hands. The Bible only mentions the former avenue as occurring twice (Acts 2 and Acts 10), and then only for special and limited purposes, with a third occurrence implied in connection with Paul’s unique calling (Acts 9:15; 22:21; Romans 1:5; 11:13; 1 Corinthians 15:8; Galatians 1:16; 2:7-8; et al. See Miller, 2003). The latter avenue is specifically described by Luke in his account of the initial proclamation of the Gospel to the Samaritans:

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-19, emp. added).

Since the New Testament expounds no other means by which any person may receive ability to perform miracles, it inevitably follows that no person living on Earth today has miraculous capability. Holy Spirit baptism was unique, exclusive, and limited at the beginning of the church, and no apostles are alive today to impart miraculous ability to anyone.
Some have challenged the exclusivity of the role of the apostles in their unique ability to impart miraculous capability by calling attention to the admonition given by Paul to Timothy: “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership” (1 Timothy 4:14, emp. added). Based on this verse, some insist that the apostles were not the only conduit through which God would/will impart miraculous ability. Does the New Testament clarify this situation?
In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul plainly declared that the “gift of God” which Timothy possessed was conferred “through the laying on of my hands.” How does one harmonize 1 Timothy 4:14 with 2 Timothy 1:6? Was Timothy’s miraculous ability conferred upon him by Paul, by the eldership, or by both? The grammar of the text provides the answer. In 2 Timothy 1:6, where Paul claimed sole credit for imparting the gift to Timothy, the Holy Spirit employed the Greek preposition dia with the genitive, which means “through” or “by means of ” (Machen, 1923, p. 41; Dana and Mantey, 1927, p. 101). However, in 1 Timothy 4:14, where Paul included the eldership in the action of impartation, he employed a completely different Greek preposition—meta. The root meaning of meta is “in the midst of ” (Dana and Mantey, p. 107). It denotes “the attendant circumstances of something that takes place”—the “accompanying phenomena” (Arndt and Gingrich, 1957, pp. 510-511, emp. added). It means “in association with” or “accompanied by” (Moule, 1959, p. 61; Thayer, 1901, p. 404; cf. Robertson, 1934, p. 611). In other words, Paul—as an apostle—imparted the miraculous gift to Timothy. It came from God through Paul. However, on that occasion, the local eldership of the church was present and participated with Paul in the event, lending their simultaneous support and accompanying commendation. After examining the grammatical data on the matter, Nicoll concluded: “[I]t was the imposition of hands by St. Paul that was the instrument used by God in the communication of the charisma to Timothy” (1900, 4:127; cf. Jamieson, et al., n.d., 2:414; Williams, 1960, p. 956). Consequently, 1 Timothy 4:14 provides no proof that miraculous capability could be received through other means in addition to apostolic imposition of hands and the two clear instances of Holy Spirit baptism.

[NOTE: For a more thorough study of miracles, see "Modern-Day Miracles, Tongue-Speaking, and Holy Spirit Baptism: A Refutation—EXTENDED VERSION"]

REFERENCES

Arndt, William and F.W. Gingrich (1957), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press).
Dana, H.E. and Julius Mantey (1927), A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (Toronto, Canada: Macmillan).
Jamieson, Robert, A.R. Fausset, and David Brown (no date), A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).
Machen, J. Gresham (1923), New Testament Greek for Beginners (Toronto, Canada: Macmillan).
Miller, Dave (2003), “Modern-Day Miracles, Tongue-Speaking, and Holy Spirit Baptism: A Refutation—EXTENDED VERSION,” http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1399.
Moule, C.F.D. (1959), An Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek (Cambridge: University Press, 1977 reprint).
Nicoll, W. Robertson, ed. (1900), The Expositor’s Greek Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).
Robertson, A.T. (1934), A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press).
Thayer, J.H. (1901), Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1977 reprint).
Williams, George (1960), The Student’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel), sixth edition.