Since the early days of the church, believers have questioned whether the signs and wonders exhibited in the days of the apostles were meant to be ongoing. In the past hundred years, particularly, there has been a tremendous resurgence of interest in the so-called “sign gifts,” and in the last thirty to forty years, there has been almost an explosion of interest worldwide in miracles and signs, especially in healing. In the U.S., names like Oral Roberts and Kathryn Kuhlman became well-known for their claims of “divine healing.” In more recent years, Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland have attained worldwide notoriety for their extensive healing campaigns and television appearances. Many debates have raged over the issue, and even unbelievers have been caught up in the controversy. A number of true believers have become at least thoroughly confused, and sometimes disillusioned and discouraged. Attitudes range all the way from total denial of any examples of miracles today to complete acceptance of all that is presented. Others are skeptical, but do not know what to believe. As with everything pertaining to spiritual matters, we must turn to the Word of God.
Our Final Authority
Before we do so, let us emphasize that the Word of God must be our final authority. In many Christian circles today, the authority of God’s Word has been replaced by what might be called “experiential Christianity.” For them, God’s reality cannot be expressed without experience, and worse still, they believe firmly that experience can override God’s Word. This is a serious thing. Let us remember that the Spirit of God inspired His Word, and thus the Spirit and the Word are always in agreement. The Spirit is the interpreter of the Word and will never lead us contrary to the Word. When vital truth is in question, God never refers us to experience but rather to His Word. Our experience may vary and may even be deceiving, but His Word “liveth and abideth forever” (1 Peter 1:23).
A Sign for Unbelievers
There are several important things that characterized signs and wonders in the days of the apostles. First of all, it is clear that they were meant mainly for unbelievers. We read in 1 Corinthians 14:22, “Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.” Likewise, healing was done many times to unbelievers, but rarely to believers. It is true that Peter healed Dorcas (Acts 9:3642), but Paul did not heal godly men like Epaphroditus, Timothy or Trophimus. He recognized that God had allowed the illness or infirmity, and he did not exercise his gift on their behalf. In fact, it is clear that Paul himself had some sort of health problem that he accepted from the Lord. God gave him grace to bear it but did not heal him.
To Confirm the Spoken Word
Second, the signs and miracles were done to support the preaching of the Word of God, not to override or replace it. The Word was first spoken — then the signs followed to confirm it. Thus the signs were of secondary importance, while the Word was of paramount importance. In Mark 16:2020And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:20) we read, “They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” Also in Hebrews 2:34 we are told, “Salvation . . . which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; 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.” Thus we have a right to expect that if miracles and signs appear, they should be done in connection with a faithful preaching of God’s Word.
Guidelines for Using Sign Gifts
Third, we find guidelines as to the use of these signs and miracles in Scripture, particularly in connection with speaking in tongues. These guidelines have never been rescinded and apply today as much as ever. If sign gifts are in evidence today, these principles of Scripture regulate them, and we should expect to see such gifts exercised according to the pattern in God’s Word.
What’s Happening Today
With these things in mind, we may well ask, “What is really happening today? Do believers still speak in tongues by the power of the Spirit of God? Does God still heal in a miraculous way? Are the ‘healings’ by modern faith-healers real, or is something else going on?”
It seems clear from Scripture that miracles and signs were given at the beginning of the church dispensation to confirm the Word spoken and magnify God when the written Word of God was not complete. Now that we have the complete, written Word in most languages, there is no longer a need for “confirming the word with signs following.” However, God is sovereign and may, if He so chooses, give a believer the gift of preaching the gospel in a language he had not known before in a place where the Word of God is not yet known.
While beyond the scope of this article to go into detail, suffice it to say that cases have been authenticated where a believer has been healed of a serious health problem that could not be explained any other way but as an act of God. In such cases it was not done through a so-called “faith-healer,” but rather through prayer on the part of individuals. Thus it is a mistake to say that nothing miraculous happens among believers today.
Testing Charismatic Claims
However, the vast majority of what is going on in Christian circles today, the so-called “charismatic” movement, will not bear either the scrutiny of God’s Word or even a reasonable investigation by natural means. Much of what passes for signs and miracles today is focused mainly on believers, is not connected with a faithful preaching of God’s Word, and does not follow the principles and guidelines given in the Word of God. In the case of so-called speaking in tongues, much of it is gibberish that is the constant repetition of nonsensical words that have no meaning. In a smaller number of more serious cases the message can be understood (that is, spoken in a known language) but often is anything but edifying and sometimes even blasphemous. It is clearly the work of Satan.
In the case of so-called “divine healers,” many have investigated the people involved, honestly seeking proof of real healing. One Christian man approached Benny Hinn, took him to lunch, and asked him specifically for documented cases and for names of those who had experienced divine, organic healing. Benny Hinn’s response was, “I will supply you with those names right away. I’ll have my secretary immediately send them to you. We’ll start feeding them to you by next week.” After reminding Benny Hinn subsequently at least once, he was still waiting more than two years later. Dr. William Nolen, a world-famous U.S. surgeon (quite possibly a believer and now deceased), actually took a year off to study the phenomenon of miraculous healing. His book on the subject, Healing — A Doctor in Search of a Miracle, brings out the same conclusion. He could not find even one documented case of organic, miraculous healing done by a so-called “faith-healer.”
A Reasonable Explanation
In view of all this, is there a logical explanation for what is going on? I believe that there is. There are various reasonable explanations for what people experience in healing campaigns or in “speaking in tongues.” Most of the claims for demonstrations of spiritual power today are the attempt by man to reproduce with human energy what was originally given by the power of the Spirit of God. In the matter of healing, it is well-known in medical circles that two-thirds of all diseases have their origins in stress and emotionally related causes. Relieving the stress removes the physical symptoms, and certainly some of this may happen in healing campaigns. More seriously, there is sometimes deliberate deception, where healthy people are put into wheelchairs and then “healed,” while cases of real illness are carefully kept from appearing on the platform. In a few cases Satanic power is involved. Satan’s object is never blessing — rather the opposite, but sometimes he appears as an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). He may produce a work of healing as a false front for more sinister works later. But the most common phenomenon is what might be called “mass hysteria” or “mass hypnosis.” If the right ambience and emotional mood is carefully produced (music, the right words, creation of a bond between the leader and the people), many people become very susceptible to suggestion. The result is very predictable — people shaking, swaying, laughing uncontrollably, perhaps shrieking or crying, even falling on the floor and then lying there motionless. Such techniques can be learned and have been practiced for hundreds of years by unbelievers. They are emphatically not the work of the Spirit of God.
Satan at Work
Closely connected with this technique is the so-called speaking in tongues. As I have mentioned earlier, Satan may also be involved in this. It is well-known that speaking in tongues has been a characteristic of occult practices for hundreds of years. But what commonly passes for speaking in tongues in Christian circles is once again a learned technique that can be practiced by anyone. One former charismatic leader (who has now repented of his involvement in it) has this to say: “All charismatics and Pentecostals I know pray, as I did, in tongues when they want to and for as long as they want to — but the sounds are always the same. . . . Most speaking in tongues today is nonsense and can be done by anyone.”
In summary, God may allow speaking in tongues today under certain circumstances, and He does heal in a miraculous way on occasion. However, I believe Scripture shows us clearly that to put an emphasis on such miracles and signs is a mistake. More than this, it is a mistake to expect that various individuals will be given these sign gifts. These things were given at the beginning to authenticate the preaching of something entirely new and to invest it with God’s authority. They are not present today in that way.
God’s Greatest Miracles
The greatest miracles God performs today are not accompanied by outward demonstrations of supernatural power. Rather, God first works the miracle of saving individuals from the penalty and power of their sins. Then He seeks by various means to conform them “to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:2929For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)). Such a transformation will not be complete until the glory, but God is working in us toward that end now. He is far more interested in this than He is in healing all of our diseases now. He uses our various trials and infirmities to teach us lessons we could not learn any other way. Let us be willing to profit by all through which the wisdom of God may pass us, while waiting for that day when we shall be with and like our blessed Saviour.
W. J. Prost