This article explores the cessation of sign gifts, with biblical evidence for their fading after the apostolic era and their role in the early church.
Examples from the life of Paul confirm that sign gifts had faded out by the end of his ministry (2 Timothy 4:20; Philippians 2:25-27; 1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9). In contrast, during the early days of the church, extraordinary miracles were performed through Paul, as recorded in Acts 19:11-12.
"And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them." (Acts 19:11-12, ESV)
This passage demonstrates that at the beginning of Paul's ministry, God performed extraordinary miracles through him, even to the extent that handkerchiefs or aprons from Paul were used to heal people. However, by the end of his ministry, these miraculous healings ceased, as evidenced by the following instances:
"Trophimus, who was ill, I left at Miletus." (2 Timothy 4:20, ESV)
Paul, who previously healed others, did not heal this individual but left him sick in Miletus, indicating the fading of the gift of healing by the end of Paul's ministry. Notably, Paul did not rebuke him for a lack of faith or instruct him to seek a "faith healing." This demonstrates that the miraculous sign gifts, including healing, were no longer active.
"I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed, he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow." (Philippians 2:25-27, ESV)
Paul does not mention healing him through a miraculous gift, but rather credits God's mercy for his recovery. Paul does not rebuke him for any lack of faith, nor does he instruct him to seek a "faith healing." This further shows that healing was not automatic or through Paul's intervention at this time.
"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments." (1 Timothy 5:23, ESV)
Instead of healing this individual, Paul gives practical medical advice, suggesting that divine healing was not accessible for his "frequent illnesses". Paul neither rebukes him for lacking faith nor instructs him to seek a "faith healing." This supports the understanding that the sign gift of healing had ceased.
"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:7-9, ESV)
Despite Paul's repeated requests, God did not heal him from his "thorn in the flesh." Instead, God emphasized grace and strength in weakness. Paul did not rebuke himself for a lack of faith, nor did he continue to seek a "faith healing," showing that physical healing was no longer granted as a sign gift in Paul's later ministry.
2) Christ's stripes heal us of our "iniquities" and sins, not our physical illnesses.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5, ESV)
In this passage, Isaiah emphasizes that the suffering of the Messiah was for the purpose of addressing human sin. The context focuses on spiritual healing, as the terms used—transgressions, iniquities, chastisement—are clearly related to the problem of sin and its consequences. The "healing" Isaiah refers to is the restoration of our relationship with God, which had been broken due to our rebellion against Him.
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24, ESV)
Peter interprets the "healing" from Isaiah 53:5 as spiritual, not physical. He makes it clear that Christ's suffering and death were to deal with the issue of sin, so that believers might "die to sin and live to righteousness." The wounds of Christ heal us from the bondage and penalty of sin, not physical illnesses. The focus is on the atonement and its power to transform believers spiritually, restoring them to righteousness before God.
Many in the Charismatic movement claim that Christ's atoning work guarantees physical healing for believers in this life. However, the biblical context of these passages points to the healing of our sinful condition and reconciliation with God, rather than a promise of physical health. The primary purpose of Christ’s suffering was to deal with humanity’s sin problem, and the "healing" we experience through His stripes is spiritual, freeing us from the curse of sin and enabling us to live righteously.
3) Sign gifts are often of no edifying value to a congregation of believers.
Even when the spiritual gifts were in effect, the carnal Corinthians sought to emphasize their exercise of the sign gifts over the edification of believers.
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul addresses the issue of how spiritual gifts, particularly tongues, were being misused in the Corinthian church. The Corinthians had become obsessed with outward displays of supernatural gifts, especially speaking in tongues, to the detriment of the overall spiritual health and edification of the congregation. Paul refutes their emphasis on sign gifts by pointing out that these gifts are of limited value unless they serve to build up the church.
"So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church." (1 Corinthians 14:12, ESV)
Paul’s concern is clear: spiritual gifts, including tongues, must be exercised for the purpose of edifying the congregation. He highlights the fact that speaking in tongues without interpretation is of no value to the body because no one can understand what is being said. The gift might be impressive to onlookers, but it provides no spiritual benefit to those listening unless it can be understood.
"Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?" (1 Corinthians 14:6, ESV)
Paul argues that unless spiritual gifts bring revelation, knowledge, or teaching, they are of little use in a gathered congregation. The primary goal of any spiritual gift should be the edification and growth of the body of Christ, not personal display or gratification.
"The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation." (1 Corinthians 14:3, ESV)
Paul makes it clear that prophecy, because it communicates God’s Word in a language the congregation can understand, serves to edify the entire body. This is in contrast to tongues, which, when exercised without interpretation, do not serve the community and can even create confusion. Paul goes so far as to say that in the church, he would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue:
"Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue." (1 Corinthians 14:19, ESV)
Paul’s emphasis is unmistakable: edification of the body takes precedence over displays of miraculous power. The Corinthians’ carnal desire to showcase their spiritual gifts was causing disorder and disunity in the church, rather than building it up.
Even in the days when sign gifts were active, Paul was careful to regulate their use so that the congregation would benefit spiritually. The focus was never on showcasing miraculous abilities but on ensuring that believers were being taught, encouraged, and strengthened in their faith.
4) Love, not sign gifts, is the validating evidence that one is born again.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35, ESV)
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, ESV)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)
Today, many Charismatics make the same mistake as the carnal Corinthians. They place a heavy emphasis on sign gifts like tongues and healings, often at the expense of teaching and spiritual edification. This focus on the external manifestations of the Spirit can distract from the building up of the church.
Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 14 refutes the idea that sign gifts should be sought or emphasized for their own sake. Instead, believers should strive for those gifts that build up the church, ensuring that everything done in the assembly benefits the spiritual growth and maturity of the body of Christ.
5) Passages which mention that believers would perform signs use the future tense.
This requires only that such signs would occur in the future, not that they must keep on occurring.
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16:17-18, ESV)
The use of the future tense ("will accompany") indicates that these signs would take place at some point in the future after Jesus’ ascension. However, the future tense does not necessarily imply that these signs would continue indefinitely or remain a constant feature of the church throughout all generations. It simply affirms that these signs would occur at a future time, which they did during the apostolic period, as seen in the early chapters of Acts.
"Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico." (Acts 5:12, ESV)
These signs and wonders occurred primarily through the hands of the apostles during the initial period of the church’s foundation. The use of the future tense in Jesus' statements about signs and wonders points to the early period when these miraculous signs would confirm the message of the apostles.
However, nowhere in these passages is there an indication that these signs were meant to persist indefinitely. The fulfillment of Jesus' words came to pass in the early church, as the apostles performed miracles that authenticated the gospel message. The future tense indicates a time when these signs would be necessary, but it does not require that they must continue throughout the entire church age.
This contrasts with many Charismatics today who insist that signs and wonders must continue as a mark of true faith. However, the future tense used by Jesus only guarantees that such signs would occur after His ascension, not that they would be ongoing or perpetual. The initial purpose of these signs—authenticating the gospel and establishing the church—was fulfilled, and Scripture does not suggest that they were intended to continue without end.
6) There's no mention of sign gifts like tongues and healing after Galatians, until Revelation.
"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." (Romans 12:6-8, ESV)
"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-12, ESV)
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:10-11, ESV)
7) Hebrews 2:4 indicates second-generation believers did not possess the gifts of signs and wonders
"While God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." (Hebrews 2:4, ESV)
Hebrews 2:4 points to signs, wonders, and miracles as past events, emphasizing that God had already "bore witness" to the gospel through these miraculous works. The use of the aorist tense indicates that these events occurred in the past, particularly during the ministry of the apostles and early church, as God confirmed the truth of the gospel. These miraculous signs served to validate the gospel message through the eyewitness testimony of first-generation believers, who had personally seen these acts of divine power.
The purpose of these miracles was to persuade the audience to respect and believe the gospel based on the testimony of those who had witnessed these signs firsthand. If such signs and wonders were still confirming the gospel in their midst at the time of the letter, the author would have referenced the ongoing miracles to strengthen his argument. Instead, he points back to the miraculous acts that had already confirmed the gospel, showing that the signs and wonders had fulfilled their purpose and were no longer necessary for the second-generation believers.
This reinforces the understanding that the sign gifts were not a continuing phenomenon in the church but had a specific, temporary role in validating the apostolic message during the foundational period. Since the gospel had already been confirmed by these miracles, the author of Hebrews does not suggest that the second-generation believers needed or were experiencing ongoing miraculous validation, further implying that such gifts had ceased after the establishment of the church and the confirmation of the gospel message.
8) The purpose of sign gifts and tongues has ceased.
a) Jesus' healings and other miracles served the purpose of validating His ministry as coming from God, and of fulfilling the Old Testament Scriptures that predicted the Messiah would heal the sick, etc. For example, Jesus used these miracles to bolster the faith of John the Baptist, by confirming that He was indeed the prophesied Messiah:
“And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”” (Matthew 11:2–6, NKJV)
This is an allusion to Isaiah 35:5:
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.” (Isaiah 35:5–6, NKJV)
Thus, Jesus confirmed to John and everyone else that He was the prophesied Messiah, through signs and wonders like healing the sick, etc. The real healing Jesus offers people today, is spiritual healing. He raises them from the dead spiritually, gives them spiritual sight, and gives them spiritual life and wellness (Ephesians 2:1-2, etc.).
b) Regarding tongues, the purpose of tongues, as described in both the Old and New Testaments, was a sign directed primarily to the people of Israel. In the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied that foreign languages would serve as a judgment upon Israel for their unbelief and disobedience. Isaiah writes,
"By people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people, to whom he has said, 'This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose'; yet they would not hear" (Isaiah 28:11-12, ESV).
Here, God warns Israel that because of their rejection of His message, they would hear it through the tongues of foreigners, symbolizing judgment and the presence of unbelief.
In the New Testament, Paul reinforces this understanding of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22, where he directly references Isaiah 28, saying,
"In the Law it is written, 'By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.' Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers" (1 Corinthians 14:21-22, ESV).
Paul confirms that the primary purpose of tongues was to be a sign for unbelieving Israel, showing that the miraculous gift was not primarily for the edification of the church but a specific testimony to Israel's rejection of God's message.
Despite this supernatural witness, Israel as a nation rejected the testimony of the apostles, just as the Scriptures foretold (Romans 10:19; Deuteronomy 32:21). This rejection marked the fulfillment of God’s prophetic warning and underscored the cessation of tongues as a sign gift, having served its divinely appointed purpose.
9) Tongues were programmed to "cease of themselves".
"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away." (1 Corinthians 13:8, ESV)
The middle voice of "cease" indicates that nothing had to act on tongues to make them cease. They had a built-in limit. Now that the purpose for tongues has ceased (see point 8 above), tongues have ceased.
By contrast, prophecy and knowledge are said to be made to cease (passive voice), by the arrival of that which is perfect (1 Corinthians 13:10).
"But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away." (1 Corinthians 13:10, ESV)
"That which is perfect" may refer to the maturity of the church. It fits the context (1 Corinthians 13:11-12), and it means that Paul will see himself as others see him, not as one who looks in a blurry bronze mirror.
"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." (1 Corinthians 13:11-12, ESV)
These verses explain that the gifts of prophecy and knowledge would be made to cease by the arrival of "that which is perfect," which may refer to the maturity of the church and potentially the completion of the canon of Scripture. Just as Paul describes leaving behind childish things upon reaching maturity, the partial gifts would no longer be necessary once the church reached full maturity, when full understanding would replace partial knowledge.
10) Charismatics are not being thronged by the masses.
In the Gospels, when Jesus performed miracles, the results were immediate and undeniable, causing large crowds to follow Him. For example, after healing a man of leprosy, Jesus commanded the man not to tell anyone. However, the man disobeyed and published the news widely, leading to overwhelming crowds:
"But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter." (Mark 1:45, ESV)
This healing caused such a stir that Jesus could no longer enter towns without being mobbed by those seeking healing. The same phenomenon is described in another instance where Jesus and His disciples could hardly move because of the massive crowds:
"And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him." (Mark 5:24, ESV)
When genuine healings occurred in the ministry of Jesus, even a single miracle drew people from everywhere, making it difficult for Him to travel or conduct ministry freely. If true miraculous healings on the scale of those recorded in the Gospels were occurring today, especially in the charismatic movement, the same kind of response would be expected—crowds would throng to those performing such miracles.
However, this is not the case with Charismatics today. Despite many claims of healing, the overwhelming response seen in Jesus' ministry, where people would travel from distant places just to be near Him, is not being repeated. This lack of public, undeniable testimony and mass response suggests that the kind of miraculous, visible healings that occurred in the New Testament are not happening today in the same way they did during Jesus' time.
11) Jesus healed out of compassion, or on the basis of someone else's faith, even when the healed people did not personally manifest faith.
One clear example of Jesus healing out of compassion, without the requirement of faith from the recipient, is the raising of the widow's son at Nain:
"And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, 'Do not weep.' Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise.' And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother." (Luke 7:13-15, ESV)
In this instance, Jesus had compassion on the grieving widow and raised her son from the dead, even though the young man was dead and could not express any faith. This shows that Jesus' healing power was often driven by compassion and not contingent on the faith of the one being healed.
Another example of Jesus healing despite a lack of faith is found in His hometown of Nazareth, where the people expressed unbelief, yet Jesus still healed a few people:
"And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief." (Mark 6:5-6, ESV)
Even though the people in Nazareth largely rejected Jesus and He marveled at their unbelief, He still healed a few sick individuals. This demonstrates that even when faith was absent, Jesus had the power and authority to heal.
On other occasions, Jesus healed on the basis of someone else's faith. One striking example is the healing of the Centurion’s servant:
"But the centurion replied, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go,” and he goes, and to another, “Come,” and he comes, and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.' When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, 'Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. ... And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment." (Matthew 8:8-10, 13, ESV)
In this case, the servant was healed not because of his own faith, but because of the Centurion’s great faith in Jesus’ authority. This shows that Jesus could heal based on someone else’s faith, even when the person being healed did not personally exhibit faith.
These examples contrast sharply with the practice of some in the Charismatic movement today, who often excuse their inability to heal by blaming the sick person for lacking faith. If they operated as Jesus did, and if the gift of healing were still in practice today, they could manifest the faith needed on behalf of others, or simply heal out of compassion, as Jesus did. Jesus healed many who did not personally demonstrate faith, showing that healing, when it was a sign gift, was not always tied to the faith of the one being healed.
12) Jesus said those who seek after signs are an evil and adulterous generation.
"But he answered them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.'" (Matthew 12:39, ESV)
In this passage, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and others who demanded a sign from Him to prove His authority. He points out that seeking after signs as proof of God’s presence or power is characteristic of an evil and unfaithful generation. The "sign of the prophet Jonah" refers to His death, burial, and resurrection, which would serve as the ultimate validation of His messianic role. Jesus condemns the desire for miraculous signs as a means to verify God’s work, highlighting that true faith does not rely on visible signs but on trust in God’s Word and promises.
By contrast, many in the Charismatic movement today emphasize the need to seek signs, wonders, and miracles as proof of spiritual vitality or faith. They often claim that those who do not pursue or experience miraculous signs are lacking in faith or are part of an unbelieving generation. This viewpoint directly opposes Jesus' warning that those who seek after signs are "evil and adulterous," placing undue emphasis on visible miracles instead of relying on the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit through the ordinary means of grace.
Charismatics often claim that a generation without signs is spiritually dead, yet Jesus Himself criticized those who demanded signs as evidence of God's presence. If miraculous signs were a necessary or ongoing mark of spiritual health, Jesus would have encouraged their pursuit. Instead, He points to faith in God's Word and the ultimate "sign" of His death and resurrection. Thus, the pursuit of signs as evidence of faith contradicts Jesus' teaching and places focus on external manifestations rather than on the gospel and trust in God's promises.
13) Jesus rebuked Thomas for failing to believe the testimony of the apostles about Jesus' resurrection, without personal confirmation.
"Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" (John 20:29, ESV)
In this passage, Jesus confronts Thomas, who had doubted the testimony of the other apostles regarding His resurrection. Thomas demanded physical proof—he wanted to see and touch the risen Jesus before he would believe. After Jesus graciously granted Thomas the confirmation he sought, He rebuked him, declaring that true blessedness lies in believing without seeing. Jesus commended those who, unlike Thomas, would trust the apostles' testimony without requiring personal, physical confirmation.
Many in the Charismatic movement emphasize the need for personal, supernatural experiences as validation of faith. They often imply that merely believing the testimony of Scripture, as passed down through the apostles, is insufficient or even carnal unless it is accompanied by direct, miraculous experiences. This attitude is contrary to Jesus' words to Thomas, where He explicitly commends those who believe without seeing.
Jesus highlights that faith in the testimony of the apostles—without requiring signs or personal confirmation—is the mark of true, blessed faith. The Charismatic insistence on seeking personal experiences or miraculous signs undermines the sufficiency of the apostolic testimony and the Scriptures. If Charismatics adhered to Jesus' teaching, they would encourage believers to trust in the gospel message and the written Word of God, rather than relying on personal, subjective experiences as proof of faith.
14) John wrote about Jesus' miraculous signs so that people would believe in Him based on the eyewitness testimony of Scripture.
"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31, ESV)
John makes it clear that the purpose of recording the miraculous signs of Jesus was to provide a written testimony that would lead people to faith in Christ. He emphasizes that the signs performed by Jesus were witnessed by the disciples and documented in Scripture to give future generations a reliable, authoritative account of who Jesus is. This written record of the eyewitness testimony was intended to be sufficient for belief, without the need for additional signs or personal experiences.
John's Gospel, and indeed the entire New Testament, provides the foundation for faith in Christ through the inspired record of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. The emphasis is on believing in Jesus through the testimony of Scripture, which is both complete and trustworthy for bringing people to faith and giving them eternal life.
Many in the Charismatic movement, however, often place more weight on modern-day signs and wonders, suggesting that faith is incomplete or insufficient without personal confirmation through miraculous experiences. This attitude contrasts with John's clear intention: the written record of Jesus' signs is enough to bring people to saving faith. If Charismatics fully embraced the teaching of John's Gospel, they would recognize that belief based on the eyewitness testimony of Scripture is sufficient for knowing Christ and receiving eternal life. There is no need to seek additional signs to validate the truth already recorded in God's Word.
15) Sign gifts are not even mentioned in John's explanation of how to test the spirits.
Instead, John provides a comprehensive set of criteria in his epistle for recognizing true believers, which centers on doctrinal confession, obedience, righteousness, and love, not miraculous signs.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already." (1 John 4:1-3, ESV)
In this passage, John lays out the primary way to discern whether someone is from God: by their confession of Jesus Christ. Those who confess that Jesus came in the flesh—affirming both His full deity and humanity—are from God. Conversely, those who deny this core doctrine are not from God but are of the spirit of the antichrist. This doctrinal test is central to John’s teaching and provides the foundational method for discerning the presence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. John never points to sign gifts such as tongues or miracles as proof of spiritual authenticity. Instead, the core evidence lies in one’s acknowledgment of the truth about Jesus Christ.
Additionally, John outlines several other ways to discern true believers, emphasizing that spiritual fruit and conduct are more important than miraculous signs:
a) Obedience to God's Commands
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:3-4, ESV)
John teaches that a true believer will demonstrate obedience to God’s commands. The consistent practice of righteousness and adherence to God's moral law are essential indicators of someone who truly knows God. Obedience, not the performance of miraculous signs, is the evidence that someone belongs to Christ.
b) Walking in the Light
"If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:6-7, ESV)
A believer's life will reflect a walk in the light, characterized by holiness and separation from sin. Walking in the light also produces genuine fellowship with other believers. Again, there is no mention of supernatural signs as proof of one’s relationship with God—walking in holiness and truth is the true sign of a child of God.
c) Love for Others
"Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling." (1 John 2:9-10, ESV)
John places great emphasis on love for others as a defining mark of true believers. Hatred or a lack of love for fellow believers is a clear indication that someone remains in darkness, while love for one’s brother shows that they are walking in the light. John expands on this throughout his letter, stating in 1 John 4:7-8 that love originates from God, and anyone who loves has been born of God. Love is central to the believer’s identity, and the absence of it signals a lack of spiritual life. This emphasis on love as the true sign of Christian faith stands in stark contrast to modern claims that supernatural signs are necessary indicators of faith.
d) Righteous Living
"By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:10, ESV)
Righteous living is another key indicator of a true child of God. John draws a clear line between those who practice righteousness and those who live in sin. Righteous behavior, driven by the Holy Spirit, reveals the transformative work of God in a person’s life. Miraculous signs are never mentioned as evidence of this transformation; rather, it is a life of righteousness and love that distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil.
e) Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God
"Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." (1 John 4:15, ESV)
Confessing Jesus as the Son of God is another crucial test that John gives for determining true faith. True believers confess and uphold the divinity of Jesus. This is part of the larger doctrinal test, which focuses on affirming key truths about Jesus’ identity. John highlights the importance of right belief about Christ, rather than pointing to miraculous signs as evidence of God’s presence in someone's life.
f) Overcoming the World
"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." (1 John 5:4, ESV)
John teaches that those who are born of God overcome the world through faith. This victory is not measured by outward signs and wonders but by the believer’s ability to resist the temptations of the world and live in victory through faith in Christ. The focus is on internal transformation and perseverance in faith, not on external signs.
Throughout 1 John, the apostle provides several clear criteria for recognizing true believers, and none of them involve the performance of miraculous signs. Instead, he focuses on doctrinal accuracy, obedience, love, righteousness, and faith. These are the enduring marks of a true child of God. In contrast to modern Charismatic emphasis on signs and wonders as evidence of faith, John points believers to the confession of Christ, righteous living, and love as the true demonstrations of spiritual authenticity. Sign gifts, which some today promote as necessary evidence of faith, are notably absent from John's list of criteria, further affirming that the Christian life is marked by inner transformation, not outward displays of supernatural power.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the biblical evidence overwhelmingly points to the fact that sign gifts, such as tongues, healing, and miracles, served a temporary and specific purpose in the early church, primarily to authenticate the gospel and the ministry of the apostles. By the end of the apostolic era, these gifts had fulfilled their purpose and began to fade out, as evidenced by Paul's later ministry and the lack of mention of these gifts in the epistles that followed 1 Corinthians.
The New Testament consistently emphasizes that love, obedience, righteousness, and faith are the true marks of a believer, rather than miraculous signs. Even during the early church, when sign gifts were active, Paul regulated their use to ensure they served the purpose of building up the church, not self-promotion or disorder. Today, many in the Charismatic movement place an undue emphasis on sign gifts as evidence of spiritual vitality, while overlooking the more important biblical teachings on love, unity, and edification.
COMMENTS