Healing and Deliverance - The way Jesus did it?

[Presbyterian Continuist]

It was suggested by a member on the General Theology forum that I start a thread here on this topic to discuss how Jesus healed and cast demons out of people and whether the way He did it is relevant today.

When we analyse the way Jesus went about His healing ministry and how that was carried on in the Book of Acts, several points arise:

1. Jesus never prayed to the Father to heal a sick person or cast a demon out of them. He did pray, but it was when He was alone at night and in secret. That's when He heard from the Father and when He interceded for the people. Charles Spurgeon said that for every hour that he preached, he spent two hours interceding for the people before, that the Holy Spirit would speak to their hearts, and two hours afterward that the Word would take root in their lives. But when he got up in the pulpit, he boldly preached the word.

2. He commanded the sick person to do something to activate his faith. He told one person to go wash in a pool, another to take up his bed and walk. These commands were not lengthy or involved. They were one-sentence commands and the healing occurred when the person obeyed the command. Notice that Elijah did the same thing with Naaman. He told him to go wash in the Jordan river, and when he did so, he was healed. Peter and John gave a simple command to the lame man at the Gate Beautiful, and when the man followed that command to get up and walk, his legs gathered strength and he started walking and leaping and praising God.

3. He did not always require faith on behalf of the sick person. He did ask one person, "Do you want to be healed?" and to another, "Do you believe?" And the sick person answered, "I believe. Help my unbelief?" His rebuke about a lack of faith was usually directed at His disciples who could not cast out a demon.

4. He did not have to be present for a healing to take place. The example of the Roman Centurion's servant is a good example of this. He was willing to go to where the servant was, but the Centurion said that He didn't need to but, "Just say the word and my servant will be healed." Although Jesus did not require that level of faith, He celebrated it and said that He had not found such faith in all of Israel.

5. He rarely laid hands on sick people in the way that is commonly practiced today. He took a dead girl by the hand and raised her to life. He mixed dirt and saliva and put it in a blind man's eyes. He put His finger into the ears of a deaf man and the healing took place.

6. When He sent the 70 and the 12 disciples out around the villages to spread the good news, He commanded them to heal the sick and cast out demons. He did not instruct them to pray for the sick. He said in John that we would do the works that He did, even greater works because He was going to the Father.

When Jesus went to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, and to represent Him. This means that a Spirit-filled believer is effectively being Jesus to the sick or demonised person. I believe that Holy Spirit ministry follows exactly the same pattern as the ministry of Jesus because it faithfully represents Him. Jesus gave us the example of how ministry is to be conducted. I think the Scripture says somewhere that Jesus set a pattern for us to follow. Paul told his followers to follow him as he follows Jesus. This suggests to me that Paul carried out his ministry in the same way that he saw that Jesus carried out His, except that his teaching was directed at Gentiles as well as the Jews.

I believe that many prayers for healing do not produce results, because they are prayers asking God to do something that He has already provided in the Atonement. To ask God to do something He has already provided is a prayer of unbelief and not of faith; and without faith it is impossible to please God, and therefore impossible to get results. Also, praying long involved prayers for healing is a complete waste of time and Jesus spoke against that type of prayer when He said that "The Father knows what you have need of before you even ask Him."

It is also interesting that Jesus confronted a disability by casting a demon out of the person. He did that to an epileptic boy and a deaf and dumb man. He did not seem to treat other sicknesses or disability as demonic. There was a woman bent over and He healed her and said that Satan had afflicted her for the last 18 years. He may have attributed sickness and disability as originating from Satan, but as I said, He did not often use exorcism when He healed a sick person.

The best results I have seen has been when people ministering healing have followed the pattern that Jesus Himself used to heal the sick and cast out demons. Although Jesus did not command it, the practice of the Early Church was to lay hands on and anoint sick people with oil. The laying on of hands is supported by Mark 16:17, and even if Jesus never actually said it, the Early Church may have included because it believed that it was true and right, and that is good enough for me to accept it as genuine Scripture because I believe it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the addition to Mark 16. James believed that anointing with oil was a catalyst in healing the sick by the elders of the church. Because he was motivated by the Holy Spirit, his teaching has rightly become Scripture and accepted as a method for ministering healing.

So these are my views about it, and I look forward to an interesting discussion. Because this is a Charismatic forum subscribed to by members who believe in divine healing and deliverance for today from a Pentecostal/Charismatic perspective mainly, and from members of other churches who firmly believe in divine healing, discussion about differences in techniques and methods would be the only posts that will be taken seriously (by me, anyway).

 

[Biblicist]

This will certainly be both a worthwhile and most likely a thread where a few passions will understandably come to the forefront. As time is increasingly taking its toll on this lovely Saturday afternoon here in Melbourne it will probably be a day or so before I will be able to add in my bit.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

This will certainly be both a worthwhile and most likely a thread where a few passions will understandably come to the forefront. As time is increasingly taking its toll on this lovely Saturday afternoon here in Melbourne it will probably be a day or so before I will be able to add in my bit.

It's warm and sunny here in Auckland as well. Just right for blobbing out with my cat on my lap.

 

[Ken Behrens]

You are quite correct. Laying on of hands was even a pagan custom in early Israel monarchy period. (I Kings 5:11). I suppose we do it as we do because of our immaturity. I usually pray out loud, but only in the sense of John 11:42. With both of my wives, after the first few times, I simply put my hand near and ask God to fix it, and watch Him do so. Curiously, if I do not pray out loud, I am often questioned if I am actually praying. It appears that some people are afraid Reiki or soul power will be used instead. But healing at a distance is equally possible today as it was in Jesus' (and Elijah's) time.

 

[CGL1023]

It was suggested by a member on the General Theology forum that I start a thread here on this topic to discuss how Jesus healed and cast demons out of people and whether the way He did it is relevant today.

When we analyse the way Jesus went about His healing ministry and how that was carried on in the Book of Acts, several points arise:

1. Jesus never prayed to the Father to heal a sick person or cast a demon out of them. He did pray, but it was when He was alone at night and in secret. That's when He heard from the Father and when He interceded for the people. Charles Spurgeon said that for every hour that he preached, he spent two hours interceding for the people before, that the Holy Spirit would speak to their hearts, and two hours afterward that the Word would take root in their lives. But when he got up in the pulpit, he boldly preached the word.

2. He commanded the sick person to do something to activate his faith. He told one person to go wash in a pool, another to take up his bed and walk. These commands were not lengthy or involved. They were one-sentence commands and the healing occurred when the person obeyed the command. Notice that Elijah did the same thing with Naaman. He told him to go wash in the Jordan river, and when he did so, he was healed. Peter and John gave a simple command to the lame man at the Gate Beautiful, and when the man followed that command to get up and walk, his legs gathered strength and he started walking and leaping and praising God.

3. He did not always require faith on behalf of the sick person. He did ask one person, "Do you want to be healed?" and to another, "Do you believe?" And the sick person answered, "I believe. Help my unbelief?" His rebuke about a lack of faith was usually directed at His disciples who could not cast out a demon.

4. He did not have to be present for a healing to take place. The example of the Roman Centurion's servant is a good example of this. He was willing to go to where the servant was, but the Centurion said that He didn't need to but, "Just say the word and my servant will be healed." Although Jesus did not require that level of faith, He celebrated it and said that He had not found such faith in all of Israel.

5. He rarely laid hands on sick people in the way that is commonly practiced today. He took a dead girl by the hand and raised her to life. He mixed dirt and saliva and put it in a blind man's eyes. He put His finger into the ears of a deaf man and the healing took place.

6. When He sent the 70 and the 12 disciples out around the villages to spread the good news, He commanded them to heal the sick and cast out demons. He did not instruct them to pray for the sick. He said in John that we would do the works that He did, even greater works because He was going to the Father.

When Jesus went to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, and to represent Him. This means that a Spirit-filled believer is effectively being Jesus to the sick or demonised person. I believe that Holy Spirit ministry follows exactly the same pattern as the ministry of Jesus because it faithfully represents Him. Jesus gave us the example of how ministry is to be conducted. I think the Scripture says somewhere that Jesus set a pattern for us to follow. Paul told his followers to follow him as he follows Jesus. This suggests to me that Paul carried out his ministry in the same way that he saw that Jesus carried out His, except that his teaching was directed at Gentiles as well as the Jews.

I believe that many prayers for healing do not produce results, because they are prayers asking God to do something that He has already provided in the Atonement. To ask God to do something He has already provided is a prayer of unbelief and not of faith; and without faith it is impossible to please God, and therefore impossible to get results. Also, praying long involved prayers for healing is a complete waste of time and Jesus spoke against that type of prayer when He said that "The Father knows what you have need of before you even ask Him."

It is also interesting that Jesus confronted a disability by casting a demon out of the person. He did that to an epileptic boy and a deaf and dumb man. He did not seem to treat other sicknesses or disability as demonic. There was a woman bent over and He healed her and said that Satan had afflicted her for the last 18 years. He may have attributed sickness and disability as originating from Satan, but as I said, He did not often use exorcism when He healed a sick person.

The best results I have seen has been when people ministering healing have followed the pattern that Jesus Himself used to heal the sick and cast out demons. Although Jesus did not command it, the practice of the Early Church was to lay hands on and anoint sick people with oil. The laying on of hands is supported by Mark 16:17, and even if Jesus never actually said it, the Early Church may have included because it believed that it was true and right, and that is good enough for me to accept it as genuine Scripture because I believe it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the addition to Mark 16. James believed that anointing with oil was a catalyst in healing the sick by the elders of the church. Because he was motivated by the Holy Spirit, his teaching has rightly become Scripture and accepted as a method for ministering healing.

So these are my views about it, and I look forward to an interesting discussion. Because this is a Charismatic forum subscribed to by members who believe in divine healing and deliverance for today from a Pentecostal/Charismatic perspective mainly, and from members of other churches who firmly believe in divine healing, discussion about differences in techniques and methods would be the only posts that will be taken seriously (by me, anyway).

It seems that gifts of the Spirit belong in this discussion. Jesus had to determine if the issue he faced required healing or deliverance; He had the Spirit without measure but was a flesh and blood man in the gospels and, I believe, had to discern the situation He was dealing with, to take the correct action. You have already mentioned the woman in Luke 13; here Jesus recognized immediately that he was dealing with a foul spirit which I take to be an instance of the gift discernment.

 

[Biblicist]

. . .

So that I can give some background to my own position regarding the Ministry of the Holy Spirit within today’s church, as I have done before, I have provided a list of the 9 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit along with the 8 Congregational Offices/functions that Paul has told us should be in operation within each local congregation:

9 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 12:8-10)

1. Wisdom
2. Knowledge
3. Faith
4. Healings
5. Powers (aka, miracles)
6. Prophecy
7. Discerning of spirits
8. Tongues
9. Interpretation of tongues​

8 Congregational Offices (1Cor 12:28)

1. Apostles (i.e., a church planter)
2. Prophets
3. Teachers
4. Powers (aka, miracles)
5. Healings
6. Helps
7. Administrations
8. Tongues (would also include the ability to interpret)​

Oscarr, both you and I fully recognise that healing is a vital component of the New Covenant, but where we differ is with how this is to be 'administered'. Where we would differ is that you hold to the [majority populist] view that our healing is essentially between the individual and the Father, whereas I would say that the Scriptures would have us approaching the Father through the combined wisdom and Holy Spirit ministry of the local congregation and that this provision has its conditions, which hopefully I will be able to adequately explain within this post

1. Jesus never prayed to the Father to heal a sick person or cast a demon out of them. He did pray, but it was when He was alone at night and in secret. That's when He heard from the Father and when He interceded for the people. Charles Spurgeon said that for every hour that he preached, he spent two hours interceding for the people before, that the Holy Spirit would speak to their hearts, and two hours afterward that the Word would take root in their lives. But when he got up in the pulpit, he boldly preached the word.

As Jesus was the Son of God, we should not be surprised that the Son, who was himself God and sent to earth with the full authority of the Godhead, that he would not need to pray for those who needed healing, which Jesus pointed out in Mat 28:18 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. Unlike that of Jesus, whose authority was unconditional, our power and authority are both limited and governed by the stipulations found within the Epistles.

Unlike Jesus who can stand on the essentially unlimited authority that he had received from the Father as the Son of God, we of course do not have this absolute authority which means that we cannot heal the sick as he did.

Unlike Jesus who was able to minister on his own right without the need of others, when we seek healing we are told that only some will hold the Office of either healings and powers (aka miracles), and others will be able to operate in words of wisdom, knowledge and discerning of spirits. Even though Paul has prescribed the above 9 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit (aka, spiritual gifts) along with the 8 Congregational Offices/functions he did not tie this altogether when it comes to how we are to each approach the Lord for our healing. Thankfully James did do this (5:14) where he tells those who are sick that they are to go to the Elders for prayer and he points out that as some sicknesses are the result of sin that the person who has (possibly) sinned is to repent before they are to be prayed for.

James 5:13-16 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.​

What James does not specifically mention is that the Elders, who are the tried, proven and mature leaders of the local congregation, that specific Elders should be operating in these Offices, where one or two might function in healings and others would function in prophecy, wisdom and discernment. Leaving aside the special operations of the Holy Spirit, as these men would be respected leaders of the church, they would also be able to apply a high dose of common sense and due to their wisdom and experience they may be able to point out any potential sin that could be blocking someone’s healing.

6. When He sent the 70 and the 12 disciples out around the villages to spread the good news, He commanded them to heal the sick and cast out demons. He did not instruct them to pray for the sick. He said in John that we would do the works that He did, even greater works because He was going to the Father.

As this commissioning was a unique occurrence, where Jesus sent the 70 out with a degree of authority that the New Testament Church has not been granted, then we should never attempt to call upon this type of authority within the ministry of the local church; if we do, chaos and disappointment will be the result.

I believe that many prayers for healing do not produce results, because they are prayers asking God to do something that He has already provided in the Atonement. To ask God to do something He has already provided is a prayer of unbelief and not of faith; and without faith it is impossible to please God, and therefore impossible to get results. . .

Even though healing is a provision of the New Covenant, the Scriptures do not tell that we only need to confess our healing in faith (or with something similar) before God to be healed. When we consider the requirements of 1Cor 12, 13 & 14 along with James 5:13-16 then we need to realise that our healing or healings is not so much between the individual and God (though this can certainly happen) but that we are to go to the assembly for both intercessory prayer and ministry.

We are told (1Cor 12:18) “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body . . .” which includes those who hold the Office of Healings; if we only need to confess and have faith for our healing then Paul’s admonition would make absolutely no sense (12:21) “I don’t need you”.

The best results I have seen has been when people ministering healing have followed the pattern that Jesus Himself used to heal the sick and cast out demons. Although Jesus did not command it, the practice of the Early Church was to lay hands on and anoint sick people with oil. The laying on of hands is supported by Mark 16:17, and even if Jesus never actually said it, the Early Church may have included because it believed that it was true and right, and that is good enough for me to accept it as genuine Scripture because I believe it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the addition to Mark 16. James believed that anointing with oil was a catalyst in healing the sick by the elders of the church. Because he was motivated by the Holy Spirit, his teaching has rightly become Scripture and accepted as a method for ministering healing.

When you consider the above paragraph, what does stand out in my view is the inadvertent juxtaposition between how Jesus healed under the Old Covenant (the Gospels) and the second part where we see a complete shift to Body ministry which is quite different to that of how Jesus ministered and particularly with the ministry of the 70 as they healed all forms of sicknesses.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

So that I can give some background to my own position regarding the Ministry of the Holy Spirit within today’s church, as I have done before, I have provided a list of the 9 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit along with the 8 Congregational Offices/functions that Paul has told us should be in operation within each local congregation:

9 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 12:8-10)

1. Wisdom
2. Knowledge
3. Faith
4. Healings
5. Powers (aka, miracles)
6. Prophecy
7. Discerning of spirits
8. Tongues
9. Interpretation of tongues​

8 Congregational Offices (1Cor 12:28)

1. Apostles (i.e., a church planter)
2. Prophets
3. Teachers
4. Powers (aka, miracles)
5. Healings
6. Helps
7. Administrations
8. Tongues (would also include the ability to interpret)
​

No problems there

Oscarr, both you and I fully recognise that healing is a vital component of the New Covenant, but where we differ is with how this is to be 'administered'. Where we would differ is that you hold to the [majority populist] view that our healing is essentially between the individual and the Father, whereas I would say that the Scriptures would have us approaching the Father through the combined wisdom and Holy Spirit ministry of the local congregation and that this provision has its conditions, which hopefully I will be able to adequately explain within this post

I agree when you are commenting on healing in the context of the local church and believers. But healing when directed toward unbelievers is not a ministry in the same sense. Healing to unbelievers accompanies evangelism and mostly happens away from the church context.​

As Jesus was the Son of God, we should not be surprised that the Son, who was himself God and sent to earth with the full authority of the Godhead, that he would not need to pray for those who needed healing, which Jesus pointed out in Mat 28:18 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. Unlike that of Jesus, whose authority was unconditional, our power and authority are both limited and governed by the stipulations found within the Epistles.

What we need to remember is that Jesus told His disciples that the works He did , they will do also, even greater works because He was going to the Father. If He limited that just to the 12, then all the subsequent sign and wonders done with Stephen and Philip's preaching had to be false, because they were not part of the original 12. Also, they were not apostles, but deacons, appointed to serve tables. Also, there were many more than just 12 at the start of the Book of Acts when in the face of persecution they prayed for boldness to preach the Word and that signs and wonders be done in the Name of Jesus. If you don't believe that Jesus gave believers power of attorney to use His name, then you shouldn't be using the name of Jesus for anything. You cannot that in the name of Jesus I will do this or that, because you may not have the right or authority to use His name for anything. Yet if you say you can use His name, which represents His full authority, then you can't pick and choose what you use His name for. So if you are going to say you are gathered in His name for a Sunday service, then you have to say to a sick person, "In the name of Jesus be healed."

Unlike Jesus who can stand on the essentially unlimited authority that he had received from the Father as the Son of God, we of course do not have this absolute authority which means that we cannot heal the sick as he did.

I disagree. Jesus completely gave up His divine rights when He came to earth. He came as an ordinary human being just like you and me. The Holy Spirit came on Him just the same as the Holy Spirit fills us. He completely depended on the same Holy Spirit as we do. What this means is that it is the Holy Spirit who carries the full authority of Jesus and it is through Him that we can perform signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus. It is not us who has the authority, it is the Holy Spirit in us. Jesus does and has always retained His authority. He has not conferred it on us in any way. This is why we cannot do anything with some type of delegated authority. He gave power of attorney to the Holy Spirit to act in His place until He comes again. It is through faith in His name and the power of the Holy Spirit working through us that enables us to do the works that Jesus did on earth, even the greater works that He promised that we would do.

Unike Jesus who was able to minister on his own right without the need of others, when we seek healing we are told that only some will hold the Office of either healings and powers (aka miracles), and others will be able to operate in words of wisdom, knowledge and discerning of spirits. Even though Paul has prescribed the above 9 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit (aka, spiritual gifts) along with the 8 Congregational Offices/functions he did not tie this altogether when it comes to how we are to each approach the Lord for our healing. Thankfully James did do this (5:14) where he tells those who are sick that they are to go to the Elders for prayer and he points out that as some sicknesses are the result of sin that the person who has (possibly) sinned is to repent before they are to be prayed for.

James 5:13-16 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.​

What James does not specifically mention is that the Elders, who are the tried, proven and mature leaders of the local congregation, that specific Elders should be operating in these Offices, where one or two might function in healings and others would function in prophecy, wisdom and discernment. Leaving aside the special operations of the Holy Spirit, as these men would be respected leaders of the church, they would also be able to apply a high dose of common sense and due to their wisdom and experience they may be able to point out any potential sin that could be blocking someone’s healing.

All this is in the believers' church context. It does not include evangelism to unbelievers. The commission in Mark 16 applies to all those who go out and preach the gospel outside of the church. That's where the signs accompany the gospel preached by anyone who has a passion for souls and is prepared to believe that the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit will accompany his or her preaching. Mark 16 does not say that the signs will follow some who will believe. It places no limits. The gifts of healing in 1 Corinthians 12 is for ministry within the Church and it is for believers. But the evangelist does not have a gift of healing in that sense. He preaches the gospel and signs. wonders and miracles accompany his preaching. The reason why the signs and wonders often do not accompany the preaching of the gospel is that the majority of preachers just don't believe that the signs and wonders will follow. Perhaps they are confused between the gifts of healing within the church and the signs and wonders that Jesus promised would accompany the preaching of the Gospel.

As this commissioning was a unique occurrence, where Jesus sent the 70 out with a degree of authority that the New Testament Church has not been granted, then we should never attempt to call upon this type of authority within the ministry of the local church; if we do, chaos and disappointment will be the result.

I disagree again. I am not talking about the ministry within the Church. This is the problem: Most churches look for signs and wonder within their churches, and seem to have more of a belief that they should happen there rather than outside the church. Signs, wonders, and miracles are not for the church's indulgence to enable them to say, "Look at us. We have signs and wonders happening in our church. Therefore we are alive and rest of you are dead." But in reality, a lot of it is at the level of the story about the emperor's new clothes, where a dishonest tailor took the emperor's money and made him pretend that he had a new suit when in fact he was naked. The emperor was too proud to admit that there was no new suit, and his subjects were afraid to tell him. At last a little boy cried out: "He's got no clothes on!" And that broke the spell. Most of our churches are saying that miracles are happening, but really, they are not, yet pastors are too proud to admit that nothing is happening, and congregations are too afraid to admit it either because they don't want to contradict what they are told by the church leadership. But the actual reality is that in the established churches, including Pentecostal and Charismatic, nothing miraculous is happening.

Yet, away from the churches, many street ministries to unbelievers are having remarkable results. Go figure.

Even though healing is a provision of the New Covenant, the Scriptures do not tell that we only need to confess our healing in faith (or with something similar) before God to be healed. When we consider the requirements of 1Cor 12, 13 & 14 along with James 5:13-16 then we need to realise that our healing or healings is not so much between the individual and God (though this can certainly happen) but that we are to go to the assembly for both intercessory prayer and ministry.

We are told (1Cor 12:18) “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body . . .” which includes those who hold the Office of Healings; if we only need to confess and have faith for our healing then Paul’s admonition would make absolutely no sense (12:21) “I don’t need you”.

What you are saying is true within the context of the church services and meetings, but not true outside on the street where the unbelievers are. Stephen and Philip had signs and wonders happening away from the Jewish synagogues, in the market places and streets.

When you consider the above paragraph, what does stand out in my view is the inadvertent juxtaposition between how Jesus healed under the Old Covenant (the Gospels) and the second part where we see a complete shift to Body ministry which is quite different to that of how Jesus ministered and particularly with the ministry of the 70 as they healed all forms of sicknesses.

When Jesus sent out the 70, this was a dress rehearsal (in a sense) for evangelism to unbelievers. Note that Jesus did not send them out to minister healing in synagogue meetings.

I think that your concept of signs, wonders and miracles is limited to the church context, and while you direct your comments to that context, I agree with you. Maybe you should take a closer look at the Gospels and Acts and see where most of the signs and wonders actually happened. Jesus healed many more people in the streets than in the synagogues. In Acts, Paul taught in the synagogues, but the miracles happened out in the pagan community. More casting out of demons and healings happened to pagans along with Paul's preaching. As you look at subsequent church history, especially during the first to fourth centuries, we see the same happening. It was when the leadership of the Church changed and rituals and ceremonies replaced the Holy Spirit, and the church became introspective instead of evangelistic mission oriented, that the signs and wonders faded out.

In the early days of the Pentecostal movement, most of the signs and wonders occurred outside of the established churches. Look at the prominent healing ministries of the 20th Century and you will see that in the most powerful time of the healing revival of the 1940s-1950s, the signs and wonders happened within tent crusades where the emphasis was on the preaching of the gospel to unbelievers. Of course many believers got healed in those tent crusades, because they went there to receive what God had for them while their own churches never had the goods to meet those needs.

 

[Biblicist]

I agree when you are commenting on healing in the context of the local church and believers. But healing when directed toward unbelievers is not a ministry in the same sense. Healing to unbelievers accompanies evangelism and mostly happens away from the church context.​

​

This is turning into a very interesting discussion where aspects of our discussion not only hang on our understanding of certain words and concepts but it moves right across various associated theological topics as well, which is why I decided last night to print out your post and carefully read through during the day at the office (during the breaks that is).

It seems that we are in agreement (so I believe) that Signs & Wonders are not intended [nor should they really be expected] within the congregational setting. Where you have rightfully pointed out that Signs & Wonders are to be used for Evangelism, I would take this a step further and say that they are employed by the Father (and not the Holy Spirit) primarily within Greenfield areas that have never encountered the Gospel, where they would rarely be given by the Father within a traditional suburban setting.

What we need to remember is that Jesus told His disciples that the works He did , they will do also, even greater works because He was going to the Father. If He limited that just to the 12, then all the subsequent sign and wonders done with Stephen and Philip's preaching had to be false, because they were not part of the original 12. Also, they were not apostles, but deacons, appointed to serve tables. Also, there were many more than just 12 at the start of the Book of Acts when in the face of persecution they prayed for boldness to preach the Word and that signs and wonders be done in the Name of Jesus. If you don't believe that Jesus gave believers power of attorney to use His name, then you shouldn't be using the name of Jesus for anything. You cannot that in the name of Jesus I will do this or that, because you may not have the right or authority to use His name for anything. Yet if you say you can use His name, which represents His full authority, then you can't pick and choose what you use His name for. So if you are going to say you are gathered in His name for a Sunday service, then you have to say to a sick person, "In the name of Jesus be healed."

I agree in that the "even greater works" need not be limited to just that of the Twelve along with Paul and the other non-Apostles who the Father outworked through.

I disagree. Jesus completely gave up His divine rights when He came to earth. He came as an ordinary human being just like you and me. . .

This is where things can become a bit complicated as our views will depend on how we each view the "emptying of Christ' before his infilling of the Holy Spirit. I agree that prior to his Baptism in the Spirit, where he then received more of the fullness of the Deity, he life was pretty much just like that of his brothers, but at some point of time he did become aware of who he was, but without the Power and Authority of his post-Spirit infilling.

. . . The Holy Spirit came on Him just the same as the Holy Spirit fills us. He completely depended on the same Holy Spirit as we do. What this means is that it is the Holy Spirit who carries the full authority of Jesus and it is through Him that we can perform signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus. It is not us who has the authority, it is the Holy Spirit in us. Jesus does and has always retained His authority. He has not conferred it on us in any way. This is why we cannot do anything with some type of delegated authority. He gave power of attorney to the Holy Spirit to act in His place until He comes again. It is through faith in His name and the power of the Holy Spirit working through us that enables us to do the works that Jesus did on earth, even the greater works that He promised that we would do.

Even though we are certainly Baptised in the same Holy Spirit as Jesus was, unlike us, his Baptism in some way or form provided him with a greater connection to his Father, whereas you and I have been grafted into the Kingdom through our adoption as sons, with Jesus, his Spirit baptism allowed the One and Only Son (Jesus) to be united with his Father, not so much as the human Jesus but as the Divine Christ, which was only fully realised when he was united with his Father after the Crucifixion.

As to the Authority that was conferred upon the Christ, this is not something that has been given to us, though we certainly have the Power of the Holy Spirit residing within us, but we do not have the Authority that was given to Jesus after his Baptism. As we have not been given the same Authority as Jesus (being the Christ), this means that we cannot call upon Signs & Wonders even when we are reaching out to the lost as this is purely the perogative of the Father.

All this is in the believers' church context. . .

Agreed!

. . . It does not [was not a typo] include evangelism to unbelievers.

The commission in Mark 16 applies to all those who go out and preach the gospel outside of the church. That's where the signs accompany the gospel preached by anyone who has a passion for souls and is prepared to believe that the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit will accompany his or her preaching. Mark 16 does not say that the signs will follow some who will believe. It places no limits. The gifts of healing in 1 Corinthians 12 is for ministry within the Church and it is for believers. But the evangelist does not have a gift of healing in that sense. He preaches the gospel and signs. wonders and miracles accompany his preaching. The reason why the signs and wonders often do not accompany the preaching of the gospel is that the majority of preachers just don't believe that the signs and wonders will follow. Perhaps they are confused between the gifts of healing within the church and the signs and wonders that Jesus promised would accompany the preaching of the Gospel.

I agree, but as I said before, I would see the Father limiting Signs & Wonders to primarily unreached people groups (Greenfield regions).

I disagree again. I am not talking about the ministry within the Church. This is the problem: Most churches look for signs and wonder within their churches, and seem to have more of a belief that they should happen there rather than outside the church. Signs, wonders, and miracles are not for the church's indulgence to enable them to say, "Look at us. We have signs and wonders happening in our church. Therefore we are alive and rest of you are dead." But in reality, a lot of it is at the level of the story about the emperor's new clothes, where a dishonest tailor took the emperor's money and made him pretend that he had a new suit when in fact he was naked. The emperor was too proud to admit that there was no new suit, and his subjects were afraid to tell him. At last a little boy cried out: "He's got no clothes on!" And that broke the spell. Most of our churches are saying that miracles are happening, but really, they are not, yet pastors are too proud to admit that nothing is happening, and congregations are too afraid to admit it either because they don't want to contradict what they are told by the church leadership. But the actual reality is that in the established churches, including Pentecostal and Charismatic, nothing miraculous is happening.

Agree, Amen & agree!

Yet, away from the churches, many street ministries to unbelievers are having remarkable results. Go figure.

Do you mean that we are able to see more of both the Holy Spirit's ministry along with the Fathers (in Signs & Wonders) only outside of our regular Western Pentecostal meetings which sadly quite often border on being systems of near unbelief; should we be all that surprised.

What you are saying is true within the context of the church services and meetings, but not true outside on the street where the unbelievers are. Stephen and Philip had signs and wonders happening away from the Jewish synagogues, in the market places and streets. When Jesus sent out the 70, this was a dress rehearsal (in a sense) for evangelism to unbelievers. Note that Jesus did not send them out to minister healing in synagogue meetings.

That's a difficult one to quantify as it would be rare for most of us to ever encounter a Sign or a Wonder within our fairly atypical suburban settings, but as I said before, we should certainly be open to seeing that Father (but not the Holy Spirit) working Signs & Wonders in the initial outreach period to previously unreached people groups; though I would imagine our openness to the Ministry of the Holy Spirit within the congregational setting would probably be a pre-requirement for us to see the Father outworking through Signs & Wonders..

I think that your concept of signs, wonders and miracles is limited to the church context, and while you direct your comments to that context, I agree with you. . . .

As this sizable passage has been covered elsewhere within my reply I suppose I only need to reiterate that I agree with you that Signs & Wonders are not intended for the congregational setting, which means that the 9 Manifestations of the Spirit (1Cor 12:7-11) and the 8 Congregational Offices/Functions (12:28) are not to be deemed or equated to be Signs & Wonders.

As I said at the beginning of my reply, this is certainly a great topic and I wonder if any others will dare add in their bit.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

​

This is turning into a very interesting discussion where aspects of our discussion not only hang on our understanding of certain words and concepts but it moves right across various associated theological topics as well, which is why I decided last night to print out your post and carefully read through during the day at the office (during the breaks that is).

It seems that we are in agreement (so I believe) that Signs & Wonders are not intended [nor should they really be expected] within the congregational setting. Where you have rightfully pointed out that Signs & Wonders are to be used for Evangelism, I would take this a step further and say that they are employed by the Father (and not the Holy Spirit) primarily within Greenfield areas that have never encountered the Gospel, where they would rarely be given by the Father within a traditional suburban setting.

I don't see that in the Book of Acts. The sense that we get from Jesus is that when He goes to the Father, He will send the Holy Spirit to guide and teach the church. I am not sure where the reference is (you might have a better idea), but the Father has put everything into the hands of Jesus to be the head of the Church until the Second Coming and after everything has been fulfilled, including the final judgment and punishment of the wicked, then He will hand everything back to the Father. Jesus is presently at the right hand of the Father advocating for us. He has sent the Holy Spirit to represent Him, to work in and through the Church to continue His mission until He comes again. What I get from this is that the sequence is: The Father has placed everything to do with the Church into the hands of Jesus. In turn, Jesus has placed it all into the hands of the Holy Spirit until the Second Coming. Then He will take over to perform the final functions, then He will hand everything back to the Father. That is the sense that I get from the Scripture. There is nothing to support the idea that the signs and wonders are the Father's direct involvement with the Church. I believe that it is the Holy Spirit working with the Church. After all, it is just as if the Father is working because the Holy Spirit is following the Father's policies to the letter, but the actual presence of God with and through the Church is the Holy Spirit.

I agree in that the "even greater works" need not be limited to just that of the Twelve along with Paul and the other non-Apostles who the Father outworked through.


This is where things can become a bit complicated as our views will depend on how we each view the "emptying of Christ' before his infilling of the Holy Spirit. I agree that prior to his Baptism in the Spirit, where he then received more of the fullness of the Deity, he life was pretty much just like that of his brothers, but at some point of time he did become aware of who he was, but without the Power and Authority of his post-Spirit infilling.

Jesus knew who He was at the age of 12 when He stayed in the Temple to discuss "His father's business" with the Jewish Religious Leaders.

Even though we are certainly Baptised in the same Holy Spirit as Jesus was, unlike us, his Baptism in some way or form provided him with a greater connection to his Father, whereas you and I have been grafted into the Kingdom through our adoption as sons, with Jesus, his Spirit baptism allowed the One and Only Son (Jesus) to be united with his Father, not so much as the human Jesus but as the Divine Christ, which was only fully realised when he was united with his Father after the Crucifixion.

Jesus is the perfect example of ministry for us. My point is that if Jesus had something more than what is available to us, then He could never be an example for us. An example has to be achievable by all who attempt to follow it. We may not be able to do things as well as Jesus did, because we have a sinful nature that gets in the way. Jesus did not, although He was tempted in all points the same as we are. Jesus was no different to any of us while He was on earth. He was dependent on the same Holy Spirit who lives in us. He was given the Spirit without measure because He had faith without measure. We have been filled with the Spirit to the measure that our faith allows. That is why some can minister in the Spirit more than others because they have a greater level of faith. Third world believers can accomplish miracles that we westerners just dream about, because they are the supernatural in their culture unhindered by western science. We are steeped in western science which comes from Aristotle, I think, and he taught that unless it can be proved empirically, (that is, through our five senses), it is not real and true. The supernatural signs and wonders do not come through our five senses, therefore they don't fit into Aristotle's theory of reality. This is why most westerners don't have the level of faith to believe that miracles can actually happen, because they are brainwashed by their education and culture to believe that only what our five senses can perceive is actually true and real. This is why in most of our churches, the sermons are academic and have a human-wisdom foundation to them. This is the mistaken belief that if we had a head-knowledge of the Bible and what it teaches, we will have all we need for a successful Christian life and ministry. In reality, all we have are religious words and are unable to prove to an unbelieving world that God is alive, Jesus has risen, and that the gospel is true.

As to the Authority that was conferred upon the Christ, this is not something that has been given to us, though we certainly have the Power of the Holy Spirit residing within us, but we do not have the Authority that was given to Jesus after his Baptism. As we have not been given the same Authority as Jesus (being the Christ), this means that we cannot call upon Signs & Wonders even when we are reaching out to the lost as this is purely the prerogative of the Father.

I agree that we have not been given Christ's authority in any form. He always retains the authority. That is why we invoke the Name of Jesus when we intend to take authority over sickness and demons. We are not working from some type of authority in us. This is where the discipleship shepherding movement went wrong. The error of the doctrine was that disciplers were given authority over others and this authority had to be accepted as Christ's authority. Nowhere in Scripture was divine authority given over other believers. Divine authority through the Name of Jesus was given for dealing with sickness and demons, but not for administering other believers. All authority that we us is through the Name of Jesus. He has given us power of attorney to use His name, but only in the way that He has prescribed. We cannot use the Name of Jesus to support what we want others in our churches to do, or to bully others to accept our doctrines or opinions, or to rule congregations with a rod of iron, as is the practice in some churches.

We don't call upon signs and wonders. This is not reflected in the book of Acts. At the beginning of Acts, the disciples prayed that they would be given boldness to preach the gospel and that signs and wonders be done in the name of Jesus. From then on, the signs and wonders happened as the Holy Spirit worked with the Church. The Apostles and others did not have to call upon or ask for signs and wonders; they just happened when the gospel is preached. They just accepted that it was going to happen this way. The difference between them and us is that we don't believe that signs and wonders are the expected outcome along with the preaching of the gospel. That is a lack of faith on our part. Modern western believers just don't believe the Bible unless they can perceive it through their natural senses. You are correct in that it is God's prerogative, but the prerogative is in the hands of the Holy Spirit and He works through the faith of believers who accept God's Word as the truth (I mean all of it, including the accompaniment of signs and wonders through the ministry of Jesus, as our example of true ministry, and the book of Acts, which is our example of how the Church should be operating in the world.

Do you mean that we are able to see more of both the Holy Spirit's ministry along with the Fathers (in Signs & Wonders) only outside of our regular Western Pentecostal meetings which sadly quite often border on being systems of near unbelief; should we be all that surprised.

God is no respecter of persons or denominations. He will work through anyone who believes His Word. As I said before, the leadership of the Church in this world is totally in the hands of the Holy Spirit until Jesus comes again.

That's a difficult one to quantify as it would be rare for most of us to ever encounter a Sign or a Wonder within our fairly atypical suburban settings, but as I said before, we should certainly be open to seeing that Father (but not the Holy Spirit) working Signs & Wonders in the initial outreach period to previously unreached people groups; though I would imagine our openness to the Ministry of the Holy Spirit within the congregational setting would probably be a pre-requirement for us to see the Father outworking through Signs & Wonders..

As I said before, the rarity is because of our western scientific, sense-based culture.

As this sizable passage has been covered elsewhere within my reply I suppose I only need to reiterate that I agree with you that Signs & Wonders are not intended for the congregational setting, which means that the 9 Manifestations of the Spirit (1Cor 12:7-11) and the 8 Congregational Offices/Functions (12:28) are not to be deemed or equated to be Signs & Wonders.

As I said at the beginning of my reply, this is certainly a great topic and I wonder if any others will dare add in their bit.

When Jesus did His work in the streets and marketplaces of Israel, He was working in the power of the Holy Spirit. He said that the Spirit was upon Him and the Spirit had anointed Him to (etc). So, His healing and deliverance ministry was under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. His was the example of what evangelism should be today. I keep repeating that it is the work of the Holy Spirit out in the world in evangelism as well as ministry to believers in our churches. There are different functions, but the same Spirit. So there is a different type of function within the Church through the gifts of the Spirit, and quite another function of the Spirit that is involved with the preaching of the gospel to unbelievers outside of the walls of the church. But I firmly maintain that it is the same Spirit working in both environments. The Father and Jesus are back in Heaven, and they have given the whole job of ministry in the Church and evangelism to the Holy Spirit. He is the presence of God in the world today. Because you are filled with the Spirit, you bring the power of the Spirit and are the atmosphere when you walk through the doors of your church on a Sunday morning. When you go out into the highways and byways or at your workplace to preach the gospel, you are being the atmosphere there as well. Because you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you, you don't have to try and create and atmosphere within or outside of the Church to get the Holy Spirit to work, because it is there within you. All you need is to believe it, and then act as though you believe it and do the works of faith. So if you speak to an unbeliever and share the gospel, your faith in the indwelling Spirit will be the atmosphere around the encounter and cause conviction in that unbeliever's heart. Of course, you cannot guarantee that he or she will receive it favourably. Conviction caused 3000 people to come to Christ under Peter's preaching in the Spirit, but in another place caused Paul and Silas to be thrown into prison! Both events were the result of the Holy Spirit's power of conviction.

Yes. This is a good discussion, and I hope I have provided enough ammunition to keep it going!

 

[Biblicist]

I don't see that in the Book of Acts. The sense that we get from Jesus is that when He goes to the Father, He will send the Holy Spirit to guide and teach the church. I am not sure where the reference is (you might have a better idea), but the Father has put everything into the hands of Jesus to be the head of the Church until the Second Coming and after everything has been fulfilled, including the final judgment and punishment of the wicked, then He will hand everything back to the Father. Jesus is presently at the right hand of the Father advocating for us. He has sent the Holy Spirit to represent Him, to work in and through the Church to continue His mission until He comes again. What I get from this is that the sequence is: The Father has placed everything to do with the Church into the hands of Jesus. In turn, Jesus has placed it all into the hands of the Holy Spirit until the Second Coming. Then He will take over to perform the final functions, then He will hand everything back to the Father. That is the sense that I get from the Scripture. There is nothing to support the idea that the signs and wonders are the Father's direct involvement with the Church. I believe that it is the Holy Spirit working with the Church. After all, it is just as if the Father is working because the Holy Spirit is following the Father's policies to the letter, but the actual presence of God with and through the Church is the Holy Spirit.

Okay, once we differentiate (and sometimes rightfully so) between Luke’s historical writings in the Book of Acts with Paul’s writings particularly within First Corinthians, we inadvertently establish a Canon-within-a-Canon, which produces the unintended effect of setting Luke’s writings against that of Paul.

This particular approach, where Luke’s record overrides that of Paul has developed two lines of thought, where one is based on Pauline theology (being the Epistles) and the other which essentially subjugates Paul to that of Luke where Luke’s historical record, which often involves a misreading of Luke’s material, has in recent decades been referred to as Lukan theology.

In fact, theologically speaking, for those Pentecostals who believe that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is supposed to be subsequent to our initial salvific experience, it has been acknowledged by the various scholars and commentators who still hold to this position that its proof texts are purely Lukan, where they acknowledge that Paul does not speak of any such division or two state process.

The problem with referring to Luke’s superb historical record, is that what Luke has recorded about the mighty works that the performed through the Twelve, Paul, Stephen, Barnabas and others, that they were under the agency of the Father through Signs & Wonders, which are not the normative pattern for the Church. When it comes to how the early Church received the Holy Spirit, now this is certainly a normative pattern for the Church down through the ages (or at least it should be) where the unregenerate initiate confesses Jesus as Saviour and then immediately (or soon after) begins to speak in tongues. Unlike Signs & Wonders which are the agency of the Father, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which all new initiates receive is the agency of the Holy Spirit.

As for the Holy Spirit “teaching the Church”, even though he can certainly help us to go on the right pathway, we need to recognise that the Father raised Paul for this purpose, where of course his Epistles have the hand of God stamped upon them.

As I deem that we all need to appreciate the distinction between Signs & Wonders (where the Father is the agent) and that of the 9 Manifestations of the Spirit in 1Cor 12:7-11 (the Holy Spirit is the agent) to be of paramount importance I have included some analysis of passages that speak on this issue from both the OT and NT in the following spoiler.

A little while back I started to suspect that Signs & Wonders were being spoken of within the Scriptures as being different to that of the outworkings of the Holy Spirit; once I took a more indepth look into the data (in the following spoiler) I realised that this was actually the case.

As my reply is probably enough for most people then I will come back to your post hopefully tonight or maybe tomorrow and address the other points that you have raised, where the 'emptying of Christ' or Kenotic theology is in itself a handful and undoubtedly deserves its own thread. For those who begin to see a difference between the work of the Father and the Holy Spirit within the life of the Church, the Power of the Godhead can take on completely new dimensions, if nothing else, it can help us to better understand why things work in certain ways and why everyone is not (nor can they be) healed in the same way.

Spoiler: Signs & Wonders data

Old Testament (NIV)

In the OT, the Father is the source of "Signs & Wonders", whereas the Holy Spirit is the source of prophecy.

1. Exodus 7:3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,

2. Deut 4:34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

3. Deut 6:22 Before our eyes the LORD sent signs and wonders--great and terrible--on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household.

4. Deut 7:19 You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.

5. Deut 26:8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.

6. Deut 29:3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders.

7. Deut 34:11 who did all those signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt--to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land.

8. Neh 9:10 You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day.

9. Psa 78:43 the day he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.

10. Psa 105:27 They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

11. Psalm 135:9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.

12. Jer 32:20 You performed signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours.

13. Jer 32:21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror.

14. Dan 4:2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

15. Dan 4:3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.

16. Dan 6:27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."

Note: There are also two additional references to both a sign and a wonder in Duet 13:1 and 2 where they speak of prophets who could work both the sign and wonder but where they are false prophets. God may or may not be the agent of the sign and wonder so it’s a difficult to know exactly where this passage fits in.

(Sign) Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT) -- BibleWorks9

אֵת particle direct object marker homonym 1 אוֹת noun common both plural construct suffix 1st person common singular​

Hol246 אוֹת

I אוֹת (80 ×), אֹת; pl. ת(וֹ)אֹתֹ, sf. תָיו(וֹ)אֹתֹ; masc., rarely fem. (e.g. Gn 912•17): sign: a) (distinguishing) mark Gn 415; b) (battle) banner? Nu 22; c) sign to bring to mind (covenant) obligation Gn 912; d) memorial Ex 139; e) sign guaranteeing afterwards the dependability of assertion Ex 312; f) miraculous sign, showing s.one's power Ex 48; g) omen, announcing s.thg to come Gn 114; h) warning, deterring example Nu 173. (pg 8)​

(Sign) NASB Bible -- BibleWorks9

<0226> אוֹת oth (16d)
Meaning: a sign
Origin: from 184
Usage: banners(1), omens(1), pledge(1), sign(43), signs(30), standards(1), witness(1), wondrous(1).
Notes:
a Exo 4:21
b Exo 11:9; Act 7:36​

(Wonder) Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT) -- BibleWorks9
4916 מוֹפֵת
מוֹפֵת, SamP. (Ben-H. Dt 132 muÒfat): ? etym.; MHeb.2, JArm.t מוֹפְתָא: ? Ph. מפת (Jean-H. Dictionnaire 164): פֶתכֶם(וֹ)מֹ, מוֹפְתִים, מוֹפְתָיו; ï Keller Oth 60f; Quell Fschr. Baumgärtel 288f; Stolz ZThK 69:125ff; THAT 1:91ff: wonder, sign, Sept. usu. τέρας, most often in Deuteronomic passages, first in Is; given by people: by a prophet, Moses and Aaron Ex 421 1110, Is 818 203 Ezk 126.11 2424.27, Ps 717 (portent, in a bad sense); אַנְשֵׁי מ׳ Zech 38 (1QHod 721); through celestial phenomena Jl 33, 2C 3231, the plagues in Egypt Ex 119; with אוֹת Ex 73 Dt 434 622 719 132f 268 2846 (curses) 292 3411 Is 818 203 Jr 3220f Ps 7843 10527 1359 Neh 910; parallel with אוֹת and מַסָּה Dt 434 719 292, parallel with נִפְלָאָה and מִשְׁפָּטִים Ps 1055 1C 1612; נָתַן מוֹפֵת perform a wonder Ex 79 2C 3224, to promise a sign Dt 132, to announce a sign 1K 133.5; מוֹפֵת דִּבֶּר to give a sign 1K 133. †​

(Wonder) NASB Bible -- BibleWorks9

<04159> מוֹפֵת mopheth or מֹפֵת mopheth (68d)
Meaning: a wonder, sign, portent
Origin: from an unused word
Usage: marvel(1), marvels(3), miracle(1), miracles(1), sign(8), symbol(1), token(1), wonder(4), wonders(17).
Notes:
a Exo 4:21
b Exo 11:9; Act 7:36​

"Signs & Wonders" - New Testament (NIV Revised)

1. Matthew 24:24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

2. Mark 13:22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

3. John 4:48 "Unless you people see signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

4. Acts 2:19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

5. Acts 2:22 "Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

6. Acts 2:43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

7. Acts 4:30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

8. Acts 5:12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade.

9. Acts 6:8 Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.

10. Acts 7:36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.

11. Acts 14:3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.

12. Acts 15:12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

13. Romans 15:19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

14. 2 Corinthians 12:12 I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.

15. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,

16. Hebrews 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.


7067 συνεπιμαρτυρέω […testified to it]

• συνεπιμαρτυρέω testify at the same time (Petosiris, fgm. 21 ln. 58; Polyb. 25, 6, 4; Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 6; Sext. Emp., Math. 8, 323; Athen. 13, 595e; EpArist 191; Philo, Mos. 2, 123) foll. by ὅτι 1 Cl 23:5. τινί by means of someth. Hb 2:4, to someth. 1 Cl 43:1.—DELG s.v. μάρτυς. M-M. TW.​

6634 σημεῖον

• σημεῖον, ου, τό (s. prec. entry; Aeschyl., Hdt.+; ins, pap, LXX, pseudepigr., Philo, Joseph., apolog.; loanw. in rabb.; Hippol., Ref. 6, 27, 4; Did., Gen. 115, 9 ‘symbol’; gener. ‘sign’)​

1. a sign or distinguishing mark whereby someth. is known, . . .
2. an event that is an indication or confirmation of intervention by transcendent powers, miracle, portent

a. miracle
α. a miracle of divine origin, performed by God himself, by Christ, or by men of God . . .
β. worked by Satan or his agents to mislead God’s people . . .
b. portent terrifying appearances in the heavens, never before seen, as portents of the last days​

NASB Bible <4592> σημεῖον (semeion) GK4956

Meaning: a sign
Origin: from the same as 4591
Usage: distinguishing mark(1), miracle(m)(2), sign(35), signs(39).​

NASB Bible <5059> τέρας (teras) GK5469
Meaning: a wonder, marvel
Origin: a prim. word
Usage: wonders(16).

NASB Bible <1411> δύναμις (dunamis) GK1539

Meaning: (miraculous) power, might, strength
Origin: from 1410
Usage: ability(4), meaning(1), mightily(1), mighty(1), miracle(2), miracles(17),
miraculous powers(3), power(80), Power(3), powers(6), strength(2), wealth(m)(1).​

BGAD 4821 μερισμός

• μερισμός, οῦ, ὁ (μερίζω; Pla. +; ins, pap, LXX, TestJob 46:1; Philo; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 203; Ar. 6, 1; Tat. 5, 1).
1. division, separation
a. ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος to the separation of soul and spirit, i.e. so as to separate soul and spirit Hb 4:12.
b. in Ign. w. ref. to dissidents, who have separated themselves: (the) division partly as action, partly as result IPhld 2:1; 3:1; 8:1; pl. ISm 7:2. ὥ προειδότα τὸν μ. τινων as one who knew of the division caused by certain people IPhld 7:2.
2. distribution, apportionment (Aeneas Tact. ln. 27; Polyb. 31, 10, 1; SIG 1017, 16 [III BC]; TestJob 46:1; Josh 11:23; Philo, Poster. Cai. 90) ἁγίου πνεύματος μερισμοί distributions of the Holy Spirit, i.e. of the various gifts proceeding from the Holy Spirit Hb 2:4. AcPl Ha 8, 18 κατὰ … μ. λαμβάνοντες//Ox 1602, 22 κατὰ μ. λαβόντες//BMM recto 22-24.—DELG s.v. μείρομαι II. M-M.​

NASB Bible <3311> μερισμός (merismos) GK3536

Meaning: a dividing, distribution
Origin: from 3307
Usage: division(1), gifts(m)(1).​

LSJ Lexicon (Abridged)

38742 σημεῖον
σημεῖον, τό, Ion. σημήιον, Dor. σαμᾷον, (σῆμα) a sign, a mark, token, Hdt., Att.
2. a sign from the gods, an omen, Soph., Plat.: esp. of the constellations, Eur.
3. a sign or signal to do a thing made by flags, Hdt.; αἴρειν, κατασπᾶν τὸ ς. to make or take down the signal for battle, Thuc.; τὰ σημεῖα ἤρθη the signals agreed upon were made, Id.
4. an ensign or flag, on the admiral's ship, Hdt.; on the general's tent, Xen.:-then, generally, a standard, ensign, Eur.: hence, a boundary, limit, Dem.
5. a device upon a shield, Hdt., Eur.; upon ships, a figure-head, Ar.
6. a signal, watchword, Thuc.
II. in reasoning, a sign or proof, Ar., Thuc., etc.:- σημεῖον δέ: or σημεῖον γάρ: (to introduce an argument) this is a proof of it, Dem., etc.​

Friberg Lexicon

24387 σημεῖον, ου, τό (1) basically, as what serves as a pointer to aid perception or insight sign, mark, distinguishing characteristic; (2) as what distinguishes one person or thing from another sign, token, mark (LU 2.12; RO 4.11); (3) as a miraculous event contrary to the usual course of nature and intended as a pointer or means of confirmation, often used with τέρας (wonder) sign (MK 13.22); as a miraculous event resulting from personal action sign, miracle (JN 2.11; RV 13.13)​

Louw-Nida Lexicon

33.477 σημεῖον, ου n: an event which is regarded as having some special meaning - 'sign.' εἰπὲ ἡμῖν ... τί τὸ σημεῖον τῆς σῆς παρουσίας 'tell us ... what will be the sign of your coming' Mt 24.3. In translating σημεῖον in Mt 24.3, it may be necessary in some languages to say 'tell us what will happen that will show that you are coming' or 'tell us what we will see that will make us know that you are coming.'

σημεῖον as an event with special meaning was inevitably an unusual or even miraculous type of occurrence, and in a number of contexts σημεῖον may be rendered as 'miracle.' Certainly that is the referent of the term σημεῖον in Jn 2.23 (πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, θεωροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει 'many believed in him as they saw the signs he did').​

For the Gospel of John, however, a σημεῖον is not simply a miraculous event but something which points to a reality with even greater significance. A strictly literal translation of σημεῖον as 'sign' might mean nothing more than a road sign or a sign on a building, and therefore in some languages σημεῖον in a context such as Jn 2.23 may be rendered as 'a miracle with great meaning.'​

VGNT Dictionary

3826 σημεῖον [pg 572]
σημεῖον,
(1) “sign,” “seal”: cf. P Rev Lxxvi. 5 (B.C. 259–8) ἀποδειξάτωσαν] τὸ ἐπιβ@λ]ηθὲν σημεῖον ἀσινέ@ς, “let them exhibit the seal which has been appended unbroken.”
(2) “outward distinguishing mark”: cf. P Par 18bis 10 (Roman) ἔστιν δὲ σημεῖον τῆς ταφῆς, BGU II. 42730 (A.D. 159) πέπρακα τὸν κάμηλον θήλιαν, ο@ὗ] τὸ σημεῖον πρόκιται, and Preisigke 56796 (A.D. 307) ὄνου λευ]κῆς οὔsης, ἐχούσης σημεῖοn @ἐ]πὶ @τοῦ τραχή]λου. Similarly of a bodily “mark” disqualifying from the priesthood—ib. 1527 (A.D. 155–6) Ἀγa@θ]οκλῆς ἐπύθετο, εἴ τινα σημεῖα ἔχουσιν @οἱ παῖδες ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος, BGU I. 34714 (A.D. 171 ) (= Chrest. I. p. 105) Σερηνια@νὸς] ἐpύθετο … εἰ @σ]ηm@εῖο]n ἔχοι ὁ @παῖ]ς. εἰπόντων ἄσημον αὐτὸν εἶναι … ἀρχιερεὺς … ἐκέλευσεν τὸν παῖ@δα περιτ]μηθῆναι @κατὰ] τὸ ἔθος, and so ib. 829 (A.D. 185). In P Amh II. 392 (late ii/B.C.) A military corps of youths are described as οἱ @ἐκ] τοῦ σημείου νεανίσκοι, and for σημεῖον as an index of inward character, as in 2 Cor 1212, cf. a rescript of Hadrian Syll 384 (= 3 831)14 (A.D. 117) ἡγούμην σημεῖα ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα εἶναι.

(3) In P Oxy II. 2936 (A.D. 27) οὔτε διὰ γραπτοῦ οὔτε διὰ σημε<ί>ου, the editors understand the meaning to be “either by letter or by message,” and so Wilcken Archiv iv. p. 259. Similarly in P Fay 1286 (iii/A.D.), P Oxy IV. 7243 (A.D. 155) of tachygraphic signs. In ib. XIV. 16359 (B.C. 44–37), a document dealing with the cession of catoecic land, τοῖς ἄλλοις σημείοις seems to refer to “boundary-marks” rather than to “title-deeds”: cf. ib. III. 50415 (early ii/A.D.) and the note to P Ryl II. 15915. See also Syll 929 (= 3 685)70, 75 (B.C. 139).

(4) For σημεῖον in its NT sense of “miracle” or “wonder” (Mt 1238 f., al.), we may cite Syll 326 (= 3 709)25 (c. B.C. 107) προεσάμανε μὲν τὰν μέλλουσαν γίνεσθαι πρᾶξιν @διὰ τ]ῶν ἐν τῶι ἱερῶι γενομένων σαμείων, and for the meaning “proof,” see the illiterate P Oxy XIV. 168318 (late iv/A.D.) σημίου δὲ χάριν. Deissmann (LAE2, p. 167) has pointed out that in 2 Thess 317 σημεῖον has the same force as the σύμβολον which in other cases was given to the bearer of a letter in proof of his commission, cf. e.g. P Passalacqua15 (iii/B.C.) (= Witkowski Epp.2, p. 54) ἀπεδόθη τάδ᾽ αὐτῶι καὶ τὸ σύμβολον τῶν ἐγ.​

Gingrich Lexicon

5762 σημεῖον
σημεῖον, ου, τό sign—1. the sign or (distinguishing) mark by which something is known, token, indication Mt 16:3; 24:3, 30; Mk 13:4; Lk 2:12, 34; 11:29f; 21:7; Ro 4:11; 1 Cor 14:22; 2 Th 3:17. Signal Mt 26:48.—2. a sign consisting of a miracle or wonder—a. miracle of divine origin Mt 12:38f; 16:1, 4; Mk 8:11f; 16:17, 20; Lk 11:16, 29; 23:8; J 2:11, 18; 3:2; 4:48; 6:2, 14; 7:31; 9:16; Ac 2:22, 43; 4:16, 22; 14:3; Ro 15:19; 1 Cor 1:22; 2 Cor 12:12a; Hb 2:4.—b. miracle of a demonic nature Mk 13:22; 2 Th 2:9; Rv 13:13f; 16:14; 19:20.—c. portent Lk 21:11, 25; Ac 2:19; Rv 12:1, 3; 15:1. [semio-, combining form as in semiology, semiotic] [pg 180]​

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Hebrews 2:4 Text comparison

(Heb 2:4 GNT) συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ σημείοις τε καὶ τέρασιν καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου μερισμοῖς κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν;

NIV Hebrews 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

NASB Hebrews 2:4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

ESV Hebrews 2:4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

NRSV Hebrews 2:4 while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will.

Holman Hebrews 2:4 At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will.

KJV Hebrews 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

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History of Latin 'miraculum'
Online Etymology Dictionary

Miracle (n.)
mid-12c., "a wondrous work of God," from Old French miracle (11c.) "miracle, story of a miracle, miracle play," from Latin miraculum "object of wonder" (in Church Latin, "marvelous event caused by God"), from mirari "to wonder at, marvel, be astonished," figuratively "to regard, esteem," from mirus "wonderful, astonishing, amazing," earlier *smeiros, from PIE *smei- "to smile, laugh" (cognates: Sanskrit smerah "smiling," Greek meidan "to smile," Old Church Slavonic smejo "to laugh;" see smile (v.)).

From mid-13c. as "extraordinary or remarkable feat," without regard to deity. Replaced Old English wundortacen, wundorweorc. The Greek words rendered as miracle in the English bibles were semeion "sign," teras "wonder," and dynamis "power," in Vulgate translated respectively as signum, prodigium, and virtus. The Latin word is the source of Spanish milagro, Italian miracolo.

Signs & Wonders (Heaven and earth)

Word count (Sign*) NIV

1. NIV Genesis 1:14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,
2. NIV Genesis 9:12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:
3. NIV Genesis 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
4. NIV Genesis 9:17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."
5. NIV Genesis 17:11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.
6. NIV Genesis 49:3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
7. NIV Exodus 3:12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you1 will worship God on this mountain."
8. NIV Exodus 4:8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second.
9. NIV Exodus 4:9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground."
10. NIV Exodus 4:17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it."
11. NIV Exodus 4:28 Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.
12. NIV Exodus 4:30 and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people,
13. NIV Exodus 7:3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,
14. NIV Exodus 8:23 I will make a distinction1 between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.'"
15. NIV Exodus 10:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them
16. NIV Exodus 10:2 that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD."
17. NIV Exodus 12:13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
18. NIV Exodus 13:9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.
19. NIV Exodus 13:16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand."
20. NIV Exodus 31:13 "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
21. NIV Exodus 31:17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed. '"
22. NIV Numbers 14:11 The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?
23. NIV Numbers 14:22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times--
24. NIV Numbers 16:38 the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the LORD and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites."
25. NIV Numbers 17:10 The LORD said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die."
26. NIV Numbers 26:10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign.
27. NIV Deuteronomy 4:34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
28. NIV Deuteronomy 6:22 Before our eyes the LORD sent signs and wonders-- great and terrible-- on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household.
29. NIV Deuteronomy 7:19 You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.
30. NIV Deuteronomy 11:3 the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country;
31. NIV Deuteronomy 13:1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder,
32. NIV Deuteronomy 13:2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them,"
33. NIV Deuteronomy 21:17 He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father's strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.
34. NIV Deuteronomy 26:8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.
35. NIV Deuteronomy 28:46 They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever.
36. NIV Deuteronomy 29:3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders.
37. NIV Deuteronomy 34:11 who did all those signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt-- to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land.
38. NIV Joshua 2:12 "Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
39. NIV Joshua 4:6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?'
40. NIV Joshua 24:17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.
41. NIV Judges 6:17 Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.
42. NIV 1 Samuel 2:34 "'And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you-- they will both die on the same day.
43. NIV 1 Samuel 10:7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.
44. NIV 1 Samuel 10:9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.
45. NIV 1 Samuel 14:10 But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands."
46. NIV 1 Kings 13:3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the LORD has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out."
47. NIV 1 Kings 13:5 Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the LORD.
48. NIV 1 Kings 20:33 The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. "Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" they said. "Go and get him," the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
49. NIV 2 Kings 19:29 "This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
50. NIV 2 Kings 20:8 Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, "What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?"
51. NIV 2 Kings 20:9 Isaiah answered, "This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?"
52. NIV 2 Chronicles 32:24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.
53. NIV 2 Chronicles 32:31 But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.
54. NIV Nehemiah 9:10 You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day.
55. NIV Job 31:35 ("Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense-- let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.
56. NIV Psalm 71:7 I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge.
57. NIV Psalm 74:4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.
58. NIV Psalm 74:9 We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.
59. NIV Psalm 78:43 the day he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.
60. NIV Psalm 86:17 Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
61. NIV Psalm 105:27 They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.
62. NIV Psalm 135:9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
63. NIV Isaiah 7:11 "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."
64. NIV Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you1 a sign: The virgin2 will conceive and give birth to a son, and3 will call him Immanuel.4
65. NIV Isaiah 8:18 Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.
66. NIV Isaiah 19:20 It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them.
67. NIV Isaiah 20:3 Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush,1
68. NIV Isaiah 37:30 "This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
69. NIV Isaiah 38:7 "'This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised:
70. NIV Isaiah 38:22 Hezekiah had asked, "What will be the sign that I will go up to the temple of the LORD?"
71. NIV Isaiah 44:25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,
72. NIV Isaiah 55:13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever."
73. NIV Isaiah 66:19 "I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations-- to Tarshish, to the Libyans1 and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.
74. NIV Jeremiah 10:2 This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them.
75. NIV Jeremiah 31:21 "Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, Virgin Israel, return to your towns.
76. NIV Jeremiah 32:20 You performed signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours.
77. NIV Jeremiah 32:21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror.
78. NIV Jeremiah 44:29 "'This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,' declares the LORD, 'so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.'
79. NIV Ezekiel 4:3 Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.
80. NIV Ezekiel 12:6 Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the Israelites."
81. NIV Ezekiel 12:11 Say to them, 'I am a sign to you.'"As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.
82. NIV Ezekiel 20:12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.
83. NIV Ezekiel 20:20 Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God."
84. NIV Ezekiel 24:24 Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'
85. NIV Ezekiel 24:27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD."
86. NIV Daniel 4:2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
87. NIV Daniel 4:3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.
88. NIV Daniel 6:27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."
89. NIV Matthew 12:38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."
90. NIV Matthew 12:39 He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
91. NIV Matthew 16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
92. NIV Matthew 16:3 and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.1
93. NIV Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.
94. NIV Matthew 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
95. NIV Matthew 24:24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
96. NIV Matthew 24:30 "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth1 will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.2
97. NIV Mark 8:11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.
98. NIV Mark 8:12 He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it."
99. NIV Mark 13:4 "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"
100. NIV Mark 13:22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
101. NIV Mark 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
102. NIV Mark 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
103. NIV Luke 1:22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
104. NIV Luke 1:62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
105. NIV Luke 2:12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
106. NIV Luke 2:34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
107. NIV Luke 11:16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
108. NIV Luke 11:29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
109. NIV Luke 11:30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.
110. NIV Luke 21:7 "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"
111. NIV Luke 21:11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
112. NIV Luke 21:25 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
113. NIV Luke 23:8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.
114. NIV John 2:11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
115. NIV John 2:18 The Jews then responded to him, "What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
116. NIV John 2:23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.1
117. NIV John 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him."
118. NIV John 4:48 "Unless you people see signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."
119. NIV John 4:54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
120. NIV John 6:2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.
121. NIV John 6:14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."
122. NIV John 6:26 Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
123. NIV John 6:30 So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?
124. NIV John 7:31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, "When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?"
125. NIV John 9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner perform such signs?" So they were divided.
126. NIV John 10:41 and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true."
127. NIV John 11:47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many signs.
128. NIV John 12:18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.
129. NIV John 12:37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
130. NIV John 19:20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
131. NIV John 20:30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
132. NIV Acts 2:19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
133. NIV Acts 2:22 "Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
134. NIV Acts 2:43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
135. NIV Acts 4:16 "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.
136. NIV Acts 4:30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
137. NIV Acts 5:12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade.
138. NIV Acts 6:8 Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
139. NIV Acts 7:36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.
140. NIV Acts 8:6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said.
141. NIV Acts 8:13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
142. NIV Acts 14:3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
143. NIV Acts 15:12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
144. NIV Romans 4:11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
145. NIV Romans 15:19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
146. NIV 1 Corinthians 1:22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
147. NIV 1 Corinthians 14:22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.
148. NIV 2 Corinthians 12:12 I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.
149. NIV Philippians 1:28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-- and that by God.
150. NIV 2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,
151. NIV Hebrews 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
152. NIV Revelation 12:1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
153. NIV Revelation 12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.
154. NIV Revelation 13:13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.
155. NIV Revelation 13:14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
156. NIV Revelation 15:1 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues-- last, because with them God's wrath is completed.
157. NIV Revelation 16:14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
158. NIV Revelation 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

The Scripture does not actually specify which of the Godhead was the agent of the signs and wonders that accompanied the preaching of the gospel. Luke's record just states that the signs and wonders came along with the preaching. I'm not sure that it is profitable to try to specify the agency, but rather to promote that signs and wonders need to accompany the preaching of the gospel to make it effective to unbelievers in our neo-pagan world.

This is especially true in third world countries where the demonic supernatural is powerful. Just words alone will not turn those people to Christ. This is why there are more signs and wonders accompanying gospel preaching in places like Africa and South America because they show that Jesus Christ is more powerful than the demons that are so powerful in those countries.

People in third world countries know all about the supernatural because they see it in the pagan practices that go on. Many African witch doctors have demonic supernatural power and missionaries who have depended on words alone without Holy Spirit power have been incapacitated through sickness or even lost their lives through the demonic attacks on them.

I have a preacher friend in this country who believes in the power of the Holy Spirit and he became an enemy of the local witches coverns in his region. To get rid of him they employed a professional hit man to take him and his family out. The hit man was to travel by car from Auckland to his city. Halfway there, the brand new rental car he was driving broke down. So he got another car. That broke down as well. He loaded all his weapons into a third car, and before he got to my friend's city, he was pulled over by the police who discovered his weapons and the hit man ended up in prison. My friend met him in prison, and the hit man told him the story, and told him that no matter how hard he tried, he could not get to my friend. He said, "Your Jesus Christ is too powerful for me so I gave up." The witches also gave up because they came to the same conclusion. So they tried in more subtle ways to discredit him, but they failed in that as well.

I read a report on Facebook just the other week how an Isis group chased a group of Christians intending to kill them all. They caught up and got close enough to start shooting at them. Suddenly there was a dust storm between the Isis group and the Christians, and Jesus appeared to the Isis group and asked them why they were persecuting Him. As a result of that encounter all the group bar two accepted Christ as Saviour, and they were working on the other two to get them converted as well. I believe that this is a modern sign and a wonder and it is comparable to Jesus meeting Paul on the Damascus road.