The Apostles' Miracles

Before embarking on our subject it may be as well to consider just what we mean by a miracle. It is normally taken to mean something outside the ordinary course of nature; something I once defined for a teacher at school as an act of divine power. Today sometimes something is said to be a miracle when in fact it is just a remarkable coincidence. It is true that one can say that God was over the event though it may not have involved anything outside nature. Thus, a man falls out of the sky from a plane into a snowdrift and survives. Properly speaking that is not a miracle. However, if he had fallen on to a slab of concrete, got up and walked away unharmed, then it would appear that the event was in fact miraculous.

However, in Scripture we have three things mentioned that are, what we would call, outside the ordinary course of nature: "Works of power and wonders and signs" (Acts 2:22). Works of power would point to what has been effected. They are "works". Something is effected beyond the ordinary power of man. Thus, persons are cured of incurable diseases and other infirmities. Wonders, however, impress us. They may strengthen our faith and move us to worship. They would impress us with the greatness of the one who does them, that is, God. Signs, however, point to something other than the actual miracle. Christ's signs were done to show who He was and also to show other things. The cursing of the fig tree showed what would happen to Israel following on their rejection of Christ (Mark 11:12-23). A miracle may well contain all three elements, but in some cases only one (or two) aspects may be prominent. The sign element is prominent in Revelation. See for instance, chapter twelve verses one and three.

What it is proposed to consider here are not only the apostles' deliberate miracles e.g. Acts 3:6-8, but also those that came about through their means without them actually doing anything deliberate, as when the shadow of Peter overshadowed those that were ill (Acts 5:15). Further, miracles done to the apostles by angels are also included, as when Peter escaped from prison (Acts 12).

When Christ was here on earth He told his disciples that after he had gone there would be those who would do greater works than he had done: "Verily, verily, I say to you, He that believes on me, the works which I do shall he do also, and he shall do greater than these, because I go to the Father" (John 14:12). Christ's going to the Father resulted in the sending of the Holy Spirit and consequently the Spirit's power was available to enable the disciples to do the greater works of which Christ spoke: "But I say the truth to you, It is profitable for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you" (John 16:7).

When Christ was here on earth his followers were called disciples. That is, they were learners, for that is what disciple means. At one point Christ sent them out and gave them power to perform miracles (Matthew 10:8). Christ also sent out seventy other also and they rejoiced that they were able to cast out demons. However, this was done through Christ's name (Luke 10:17). Christ Himself did not have to refer to another's authority as did the disciples. One may say that during the time that they were with Christ the disciples were serving their apprenticeship and that involved experience in evangelising. However, on one occasion they found that a case of demon possession was too difficult for them. They could not cast the demon out and Christ had to point out that the kind of demon they were dealing with could only be dispossessed by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:14-21).

Properly speaking the disciples did not become apostles until the Holy Spirit had come (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:1-9). Apostles are sent out ones and this is what the disciples became (John 17:18; 20:21). Note: Christ was The Apostle (Hebrews 3:1); the twelve were apostles and certain others also (Romans 16:7). Christ is always distinguished from his disciples.

That the apostles did greater works than Christ did when here is recounted in the Acts. It was really Christ acting through them. The works they did were done in Christ's name. Thus we have the infirm man raised up: "In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazaraean rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). Peter makes a point of the fact that the raising up of the infirm man was done in Christ's name when he was before the ruling body (Acts 4:5-12). However, there were many more miracles of healing performed in the early days of the Assembly's history (Acts 5:11-16). Even the shadow of Peter was apparently efficacious for the healing of some (v.15). A shadow as we know is something insubstantial - a negative thing - the absence of light. Apart from miracles of healing we know that there were other miraculous happenings in the early days of the Assembly's history; the speaking in other tongues for instance (Acts 2:4). This had the effect of overcoming the confusion of tongues that came in at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). What happened at the beginning of Acts will very likely happen in a universal way when Christ comes in power to reign.

Then there was the solemn side in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. They died as a result of their sin; the judgement being pronounced by Peter (Acts 5:1-10). We must always remember that our God is a consuming fire (Exodus 24:17; Hebrews 12:29). Note also the judgement on Herod (Acts 12:19-23).