Contrary To Evangelical Sentiment, Signs And Wonders Are The Gospel – By JD King

[Ron McGatlin]

World Revival Network Blog

Contrary To Evangelical Sentiment, Signs And Wonders Are The Gospel Posted: 17 May 2017 06:02 AM PDT Throughout the pages of the New Testament, the word “sign” (semeion) refers to miracles functioning as evidence of divine authority. The accompanying term, “wonders” (teras) denotes an unusual occurrence; causing one to marvel. Whereas a sign appeals to understanding, a wonder appeals to the imagination. “Signs and wonders” (semeia kai terata) are synonymous with other words such as: · Acts of power, miracles (dunamis) · Miraculous works (ergon) · Wonders (thaumata, thaumasia) · Energy, power in exercise (energeia) · Force, violent power (bis) · Strength, especially physical (ischus) · Might, manifested power (kratos) Signs and wonders could be described as heightened spiritual expressions that confirm God’s Word and reveal His purposes within creation. In Scripture, these amazing displays aren’t distinguished from other aspects of Jesus’ unfolding revelation. In fact, they were central to the messiah’s self-disclosure and identity.   Jesus often invited people to encounter Him through a direct experience with the miraculous. Consider the following from the Gospel of John:   “Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me” (John 10:37-38). “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miraculous works themselves” (John 14:11). Elsewhere, Jesus affirms the following to the disciples of John the Baptist. “‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor'” (Matthew 11:5). In each of these passages, individuals were brought into a place of revelation and understanding through a direct supernatural encounter. Jesus demonstrates that it’s not just what’s heard—but also what’s seen—that shapes the life of faith.   Despite the significance of signs and wonders in the Bible, many consider them unnecessary—products of sensationalism and charismatic excess. However, that is not how the early Apostles understood things. They recognized a symbiotic relationship between preaching and miracles. For them, proclamation and demonstration were simply different sides of the same coin. An example of this line of thinking is found in the Book of Hebrews: “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Hebrews 2:3-4). Signs and wonders were just as much a testimony to the gospel as the accompanying verbal proclamation.   The Apostle Paul understood this truth. He declared the following: “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:18-19). To Paul, the “full proclamation of the gospel” necessitated signs and miracles. Persuasion didn’t just come through speech, but also by what was on display. People need a proclamation and a demonstration of Spirit’s power. Contrary to popular sentiment, miracles aren’t peripheral. They aren’t distractions or foolish excursions. They are a tangible expression of Christ’s work in the midst of creation. I want to invite you to embrace a reality of glory and power. God is positioning His family to dynamically confirm the gospel. This outworking of grace is not just an overflow of words. It’s rooted in incredible displays of power.

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