The gospel was preached and 3000 souls repented and were baptized (Acts 2). To the Jews, this did not initially seem to present any threat, and as time passed the apostles continued their work. Some time later Peter and John entered the temple at the hour of prayer, and as they entered they encountered a lame man (Acts 3). The lame asked Peter and John for alms, but Peter gave him more than he had ever hoped for. Peter healed him and all the people saw the man who was lame leaping and praising God and they were all amazed. The Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin council, were very concerned at this point. Why? Because "indeed a notable miracle hath been done" and they could not deny it (Acts 4:16).
We must clearly understand that the scriptures set forth that "indeed a notable miracle" was done on this occasion as well as on other occasions in the New Testament and we cannot deny them. In Acts 3, we have a man who was lame from his birth. A man who had never walked. All the Jews were familiar with this lame man who had regularly laid at the gate of the temple. No doubt his leg muscles were withered, but we read that Peter took him by the hand, "and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered into the temple, walking, and leaping and praising God" (Acts 3:7-8). This miracle was indeed worked by the power of God. No power but divine miraculous power could have caused a man lame from his birth to immediately walk and leap. The miracles that Jesus worked were of the same type. Only one who was working with the power of God could do such miracles. Matthew records that Jesus during His personal ministry went about "healing all manner of sickness and diseases among the people" (Matthew 4:23). One example of many miracles Jesus performed is the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:23-ff). How many people can be raised from the dead without divine power? Looking at these two miracles we find that even those who did not follow Christ understood that miracles were being worked and there was no need to try and deny them (Acts 4:16; John 11:47). The evidence is plain and simple that miracles were worked in the first century. When the question is asked, "Do you believe in miracles?" We must reply "Yes!"
The question that may come mind is, "What was the purpose of the working of miracles?" In thinking of the purpose of miracles we may think of what we have often referred to in this day and age as miracles. But the modern day claims of miracles are clouded in mystery and suspicion. The miracles claimed to be performed are obscure and unobservable healings such as arthritis, headaches, etc. They are not notable miracles which cannot be denied. The express purpose of modern day "miracles" are for the easing of pain and suffering. Those who claim to work "miracles" say God does not want his people to suffer therefore they claim to work these "miracles" for this purpose.
The purpose given in the scriptures for miracles is quite different than that the modern day reasoning. In Mark 16, we have recorded the great commission that Jesus gave to His disciples to go out and preach the word of God. "And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs" (Mark 16:20). Mark records that they went forth preaching and the word they preached was confirmed by the signs. Why were signs or miracles worked? To confirm that what the apostles were teaching was from God. The purpose of miracles was simply to confirm the word and then produce faith in the hearers (John 20:30-31). If these signs or miracles had not accompanied those who spoke the truth (the word of God), then how would one have been convicted to accepted what was taught as being the word of God? They could not have done so. They would have been accepting something blindly and without faith (Romans 10:17; Heb. 11:6).
The need for miracles today to confirm the word is no longer needed because the word of God has been completely revealed to us through the work of the apostles (Ephesians 3:3-5). Jesus told His disciples that after His death they would receive the Comforter to guide them into all truth (John 16:13). Jude said that the "faith was once delivered" (Jude 3) meaning that it was delivered once for all time. There would be no more revelations. Paul warned the Galatians about accepting another gospel other than the gospel that he had delivered to them (Galatians 1:6-9). Peter said, "According to his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). In the first century there were miraculous powers. They had a purpose for revealing and confirming the word, but now we have the word so their is no need for miracles today. Paul writing to the Corinthians about the spiritual gifts made it clear that the miraculous things were "in part" and would last until "that which is perfect is come" (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). "That which is perfect " refers to the complete revelation of God (cf. James 1:25).
As we think about the miracles that were performed in the first century, they were indeed notable miracles. It is upon these miracles we can be assured of the faith we profess in Jesus Christ being the Son of God. The miracles testified of Him and the message that was preached, being the truth, confirmed the word of God. Let us not look for signs and miracles to lead us today, but to God's word that was confirmed by the power of God.
~In Gospel Power, Anderson, Alabama, 3/14/99.