The Charismatic Movement has swept the world with its own private interpretations of scripture concerning healing, miracles, and speaking in tongues. They believe their dreams, visions, words of prophecy, and words of wisdom are more important than scripture.

According to the leaders of the charismatic movement, if you aren't speaking in tongues, or involved in some sort of a miracle, you just aren't being blessed of God. To hear them talk, you would think the Bible was full of people who did signs and wonders. But the truth is; there are only about 94 people in the entire Bible that performed miracles, 9 in the Old Testament and 85 in the New Testament. We are not counting those prophets who prophesied, for there is no record of their number.

It is significant that the first recorded miracle was by Moses and Aaron when the world was about 2450 years old, Ex. 4:3. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and all the people before Moses had seen no miracle, faith was enough for them. Yet there came a generation who could not live by faith, they must live by sight. Therefore, God allowed Moses to do miracles. Matt. 12:39, "A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign..." was true then, and is still true today.

It shouldn't have been necessary for Moses to do a miracle in order to prove that he was God's man. The Israelites had been praying for relief from the oppression of the Egyptians, Ex. 2:23-25, but, like us, they were surprised to learn that God actually heard their prayer and sent an answer.

When Moses went before Israel and did the miracles God sent him to do, they rejoiced with great rejoicing, Ex. 4:29-31. But they were quickly discouraged and prayed that God would judge Moses when Pharaoh didn't pay any attention to the miracles, Ex. 5:20-23. This should teach us that miracles do not make strong Christians. Israel, like us, should not require miracles to believe God's Word. We ought to believe by faith without any sign at all. Those people who need a constant stream of sensational events to keep interested in God's Word and work are simply fooling themselves with their "faithfulness".

A list of the Old Testament miracle workers and a partial list of their miracles is given below.

Moses and Aaron Ex. 4:1-9

The rod turned into a serpent and back into a rod.

Moses hand turning leprous, and turning back normal again.

Joshua Joshua 10:12

The sun stood still while Israel defeated their enemies.

Samson Judges 14-16

In his great strength, he killed 3,000 Philistines.

Samuel I Sam. 12:18

Samuel called for thunder and rain to show Israel their folly in wanting a king.

Prophet of Judah I Kings 13:4-6

The altar was rent, the ashes poured out, King Jeroboam’s hand was withered, and then healed.

Elijah I Kings 17

It didn’t rain for three years.

Elisha II Kings 2-6

Did double the miracles Elijah did.

Isaiah II Kings 20

15 years added to Hezekiah’s life.

 

Christ was the first in the New Testament to do miracles. John the Baptist did no miracle, but preached the gospel to a lost and dying world. The reason Christ did miracles was to prove in a tangible, physical way that He was the Christ. It is interesting to note that the religious leaders didn't believe Him even when they saw the miracles. John 10:22-31 states, "And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him." It would be impossible to list all the miracles Christ did, for many have not been revealed to us. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." John 20:30,31.

In Luke 10:1-16, Jesus sent seventy disciples to prepare the way before Him. He gave them power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and preach the kingdom of God with power. In verse 17, they returned rejoicing because even the devils were subject to them through the power of Christ. Christ told them in verse 20, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."

Matt. 10:1-15. The twelve apostles are the next group that does miracles. Christ said to them in verse 8, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."

The only other people the New Testament records as doing miracles were the two deacons; Stephen, Acts 6:8; and Philip, Acts 8:6-13.

The above facts from the Bible ought to show us that the Charismatic doctrine of everybody doing signs and wonders is false. The modern charismatic movement is doing away with God's Word, replacing it with their own word of prophecy and word of wisdom.

There are more supposed miracle workers in the world today than in the entire Bible. This ought to show us that something is wrong. Why is there more "miracle workers" today than ever before? Is it because Matt. 24:24 is being fulfilled? "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

There are two reasons God gave signs and wonders. The first is to show by natural means that Jesus is the Christ. The second is to show that the apostles were ordained of God to do the work they were doing: to show that Christ is working through the church He organized during His personal ministry.

Please understand that speaking in other languages (tongues), and performing miracles and signs are to those that believe not, I Cor. 14:22. The ones that believed not were the religious Jews. They rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah in spite of His preaching and the miracles they saw Him do. They also rejected the apostles as being God's servants in spite of their preaching and the signs and wonders they saw them do. God will stop using Israel to reveal Himself to the world and will begin using the church He organized during His personal ministry. Luke 20:9-20. The church Jesus organized was made up of saved, scripturally baptized believers, and they were all Jews. But soon, Samaritans (half-Jew, half-Gentile) will be saved, scripturally baptized and added to the church. Next, Gentiles will be added. Acts 1:8

Notice the overall view of signs and wonders. The book of Acts opens with a promise of the Holy Spirit, which was given on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:1-4. From this high point, the book of Acts concludes in Acts 28:30,31, with Paul preaching from prison in Rome. This is a picture of the work of the church while Christ is away in heaven. The church began with signs and wonders, and will conclude with the church fulfilling the great commission by taking the gospel message into all the world. Some members of His church may be in jail, but the message of salvation is never chained.

Before we study those people who did miracles in the book of Acts, let's notice some of the people who believed without miracles.

In Luke 1:44, there is good indication that when John the Baptist (who was still in his mothers womb) heard about Christ being born, he believed to the saving of his soul, and that without any miracle at all.

Then there was Mary and Joseph, the mother and step-father of Jesus. They did not see a miracle, but submitted themselves to the will of God, Luke 1:38. An angel spoke to Mary, explaining to her that she was to be the mother of the Christ child. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, explaining that his bride to be had conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Simon, Luke 2:25-32, did not see a miracle, or a halo around the head of the child Jesus, but coming in and seeing the child, the Holy Spirit made it known to him that this was the promised one he was being kept alive to see.

In Luke 2:36-38, Anna, a prophetess, did not do or see a miracle, but upon seeing Christ, rejoiced and gave thanks. She began immediately to tell everybody that the Christ child was born.

Matt. 3:5,6 records that John the Baptist was baptizing people who had been saved. These people saw no miracle, but repented at the preaching of the Kingdom.

God used miracles as a special means of showing that He was acting differently toward Israel and was establishing His gentile church.

There were three groups of people that performed miracles in the Book of Acts.

The first group is the apostles. In the first five chapters of Acts, only the apostles are mentioned as performing miracles. (Acts 2:43, the apostles; Acts 3:6, Peter and John; Acts 4:33, the apostles; Acts 5:12, the apostles; Acts 5:15,16, Peter). It is very interesting to note that no one else performed miracles up to this point.

The second group is the men the apostles laid hands on. In Acts 6:6, the apostles laid hands on seven Godly men (all non-apostles). Immediately, the Bible records that Stephen did miracles among the people (6:8). After the account of Stephen (6:8-7:60), the text records the fact that Philip worked miracles in Samaria. {I do not believe the Philip of Acts 8 is Philip the Apostle, but Philip the "deacon". One reason is that the context, of Acts chapter 6-8, begins to tell the work of the men the apostles laid hands on. Secondly, if Philip (the apostle) preached and did miracles in Samaria, why didn't he lay hands on the believing Samaritans so they would also receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit?} The clear implication is that they got this ability when the apostles laid hands on them.

It also seems that non-apostles were not able to transfer their miraculous gifts to others without the aid of an apostle. When the apostles heard that the Samaritans had "accepted the Word of God" (8:14), they sent Peter and John to Samaria because "The Holy Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus." (8:16). When the apostles laid hands on the Samaritans, they "received the Holy Spirit." (8:17)

Some people feel that the Samaritans were not truly saved until Peter and John came, for how can a person be saved without having the Holy Spirit? It seems more likely to me, however, that "they received the Holy Spirit" means "they received the miraculous gifts of the Spirit". For one thing, 8:14 says that the Samaritans "accepted the Word". For another, in 8:18, Simon the sorcerer "saw that the Holy Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles hands". This implies that the Samaritans received outward, visible signs, not an inward work of grace. It seems therefore, that as a non-apostle (in the technical sense of the word apostle), Philip received miraculous gifts under the supervision of the apostles. It seems also that those receiving such gifts were not able to confer the power to others without the aid of the apostles themselves.

The third and final group is composed of one man, Ananias. In Acts 9:10-19, Ananias, who was not an apostle, received a special vision from God to heal and baptize Saul, who is later called Paul. Ananias baptized Paul under the authority of the church of Damascus, of which he was a member. Ananias can be compared to John the Baptist, who was not an apostle, but was called of God to baptize the apostles, Acts 1:22. Paul is an apostle "born out of due time", I Cor. 15:7,8. He is able to do miracles and transfer the gift of the Holy Spirit because he is an apostle.

Wayne Reynolds, Pastor

Independence Baptist Church