DENOMINATIONAL DOCTRINES: Miracles, Wonders and Signs

Mark’s account of the Great Commission in the King James Version goes like this: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” (Mk. 16:15-20). 

Mark records that “the Lord worked with them, confirming the word with signs…”  (Mk. 16:20). This was why Jesus promised to be with them (Matt. 28:20). They were going to need his help in order to be his witnesses to all nations (Matt. 28:19), every creature (Mk. 16:15), and the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). This was the purpose of the miraculous powers which the apostles had. 

Miracles in the Gospels and the Book of Acts had primarily to do with the revelation and confirmation of the gospel. Ability to work miracles was an evidence of being a true apostle of Christ (Romans 15:18-19; 2 Cor. 12:12). The miraculous gifts of the Spirit were given for the purpose of confirming the word, making believers, and edifying/teaching the body of Christ before the days of a completed revelation (Heb. 2:3; Mk. 16:20; 1 Cor. 14:22). 

There would come a day when the miraculous power would no longer be needed to reveal and confirm the word. Paul said, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect shall come, then that which is in part will be done away.”  (1 Cor. 13:9-10). Paul was speaking of the process of revelation—which was done gradually, not all at once. There was a transition period between the time of Christ’s death and the fall of Jerusalem and the temple. The word “perfect” in that passage means complete. So “that which is perfect” means “that which is complete.”

Jews and Gentiles in one body, the church—that is the completeness of the gospel. That happened in AD 70, which I’m convinced is when the miraculous gifts ceased. We now have a completed revelation in the New Testament, the perfect word of God given through Christ and his apostles. The word is no longer being confirmed by miraculous signs. It has already been confirmed through the miracles we read about in Scripture (John 20:30-31).

We are aware that there are many today who claim to have power similar to that of the apostles. The airwaves are saturated with the teaching of those who claim the ability to work miracles. But miraculous signs have ceased because their purpose has ceased. “And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose” (Hebrews‬ ‭2:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬). There is the idea of “confirming” the message again. One real Bible miracle would change the minds of those who believe that the Pentecostal movement is fake.

Are we ready to claim that the signs of Mark 16:17-20 are being performed today? If so, we must also maintain that the gospel is incomplete and the revelation process is incomplete. If we have the signs, we need to have a message which needs confirmation. The message of the New Testament needs no such confirmation, for it was confirmed by the Lord and by his apostles. 

If we need miraculous signs, then we need a new message to confirm, for that was their purpose. We would insult the power of the gospel by suggesting that it is a message which needs to be confirmed over and over.  The message we are to preach today is the message of the New Testament. This message was revealed and confirmed by Christ and his apostles. No one is working real miracles today.

Dewayne Dunaway