The Divine Fingerprint: Understanding Miracles, Signs, Wonders & Works
- Ray Reynolds
- 7 minutes ago
- 8 min read
In January I was challenged to produce some material on the Holy Spirit and the miracles of the Bible. I quickly compiled some research on how to identify "biblical miracles" and why modern day "faith healers" prey on unsuspecting believers. You can read my blog on this subject (click here). This past Sunday night we chose to dive a little deeper in our Men's Study to answer some important questions: What happened in the ministry of Jesus? Why did God allow the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit in the early church? Are those gifts still available today? All good questions.
When we open the pages of the New Testament, we are immediately confronted with the supernatural. We see the blind receiving sight, the dead stepping out of tombs, and the forces of nature calming at a single command. Jesus, and His disciples, used supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit to confirm the identity of the Messiah. In our modern religious landscape, there is often a lot of confusion surrounding these supernatural events. People frequently lump them all together under the generic umbrella of "miracles." However, the Holy Spirit chose His words intentionally.
In passages like Acts 2:22 and Hebrews 2:4, the New Testament uses distinct terms to describe how God manifested His power (miracles, signs, wonders and works). Understanding these terms can help us appreciate why God used supernatural power in the first century, and how He continues to work in our lives today. Let’s look at the four distinct terms used in the Scriptures to describe the manifestations of God’s power. I will use three specific Bible examples for each of these terms.
1. Miracles (Dunamis) – The Demonstration of Power
A miracle focuses on the raw demonstration of divine power. The Greek word dunamis (from which we get our English word dynamite) literally means inherent power, might, or ability. When used of the supernatural, it refers to acts of overwhelming power that transcend natural laws, clearly showcasing God's absolute sovereignty over creation. In Acts 2:22, Peter reminds the crowd on Pentecost that Jesus of Nazareth was "a Man attested by God to you by miracles [dunamis], wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst." Here are a few examples:
Walking on the Stormy Sea (Matthew 14:22-33):Â When Jesus walked on top of the crashing waves of the Sea of Galilee, and later enabled Peter to do the same, it was a pure manifestation of divine power completely transcending the natural laws of gravity and physics.
The Instantaneous Cleansing of Lepers (Luke 5:12-14):Â Leprosy was an incurable, flesh-rotting disease in the ancient world. When Jesus touched a man full of leprosy and said, "Be cleansed,"Â the disease didn't slowly go into remission; it vanished instantly, demonstrating God's sovereign power over physical decay.
The Resurrection of Lazarus (John 11):Â When Jesus stood before a tomb and commanded a man who had been dead for four days to come out, natural biological laws were completely overturned by the sheer power (dunamis) of God.
2. Signs (Semeion) – The Purpose Behind the Power
A semeion is a sign, mark, token, or pointer. It is an event that carries a specific message. In the New Testament, a sign was never performed just to put on a show; it was a miraculous event acting as a pointer, directing people to a deeper spiritual truth, confirming a message, or revealing the true identity of Jesus Christ. Look at Acts 14:3, where Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly in Iconium, and the Lord "was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs [semeion] and wonders to be done by their hands." The sign authenticated that their message was truly from heaven. While the event itself is incredible, the meaning and message behind it are the primary focus. Here are a few examples:
The Miraculous Catch of Fish (Luke 5:1-11):Â When Peter's nets began to break from a massive catch of fish at Jesus's command, the event served as a pointer. It wasn't about the fish; it was a sign to Peter, Andrew, James, and John of their new divine mission: from then on, they would be "fishers of men."
The Feeding of the 5,000 (John 6): After Jesus multiplied the bread and fish, the text explicitly notes that the crowd saw the sign (semeion) He performed (John 6:14). The physical food pointed to a massive spiritual revelation: Jesus is the true "Bread of Life" who came down from heaven to give eternal life.
The Healing of the Man Born Blind (John 9):Â When Jesus healed the blind man, it wasn't just a random act of compassion; it was a profound semeion. It pointed directly to the spiritual truth that Jesus is "the light of the world" (John 9:5) and exposed the deep spiritual blindness of the Pharisees.
3. Wonders (Teras) – The Impact of the Power
The word teras refers to something extraordinary that evokes awe, amazement, astonishment, or even fear. It emphasizes the spectacular nature of the event and the psychological impact it had on those who witnessed it. Interestingly, in the New Testament, teras is never used alone; it is always paired with semeion ("signs and wonders") because amazement without spiritual direction is empty. In Hebrews 2:4, we read that God bore witness to the Gospel "both with signs and wonders [teras], with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will." Here are a few examples:
The Calming of the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27): When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm, the primary focus recorded by Matthew is the psychological impact on the disciples. The text says, "So the men marveled, saying, 'Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'" This is teras in action—leaving them completely astonished.
The Healing of the Paralytic (Mark 2:1-12): When Jesus told the paralyzed man to take up his bed and walk, the man stood up and walked out before them all. Mark records the immediate wave of wonder that washed over the crowd: "...so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'"
The Crippled Man at the Temple Gate (Acts 3:1-10): When Peter healed the lame man in the name of Jesus, the man went into the temple walking, leaping, and praising God. Look at how the scripture explicitly describes the teras response of the onlookers: "Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."
4. Works (Ergon) – The Fruit of Divine Mission
The word ergon means business, employment, or a deed/action. It is a much broader category including "mighty" deeds. While it can include supernatural acts, it heavily encompasses the daily, natural acts, deeds of service, and moral fruits performed by Jesus, the apostles, and Christians. These actions prove a divine mission and reflect God's character. Works represent the broad, daily application of faith—the practical things, morality, integrity, lifestyle choices, and bearing natural fruit that prove a Christian's divine mission and reflect God's character to the world. Jesus pointed to this in John 5:36: "...for the works [ergon] which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." Here are a few examples:
The Generosity of Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37): When Barnabas sold his land and brought the money to lay it at the apostles' feet to help needy saints, he was producing the natural fruit of a transformed heart. This practical, sacrificial deed is exactly the kind of ergon that James says proves our faith is alive (James 2:14-17).
Dorcas Making Garments (Acts 9:36-39): Tabitha (Dorcas) is described as a woman "full of good works [ergon] and charitable deeds which she did." When she died, the widows stood weeping and showing Peter the tunics and garments she had made while she was with them. This wasn't supernatural, but it was a powerful manifestation of God's love through human hands.
Jesus’s Entire Ministry of Doing Good (Acts 10:38): Peter summarizes the lifestyle of Christ by saying God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil." His daily, natural acts of compassion, teaching, and serving were the ergon given to Him by the Father to finish.
The Ultimate Purpose: Authentication
Why did God use these manifestations? In the first century, the New Testament was still being written and revealed. The apostles and early preachers didn't have a completed Bible to hand to people. Therefore, God used miracles, signs, and wonders as a divine press badge. As Paul defended his apostleship, he wrote in II Corinthians 12:12:
"Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds."
There are stern warnings about the testing the spirits and being alert to the supernatural in the first century. Why? It is vital to note that the presence of miracles, signs, and wonders does not automatically mean an event is from God. Satan can counter with deceptions. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24 that "false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders [semeion and teras] to deceive, if possible, even the elect."Â
True signs always aligned with and confirmed God's ultimate truth. They were necessary, but clearly meant to be temporary. The primary purpose of these supernatural gifts was to confirm the Gospel, authenticate divine authority, and reveal God's glory. Once the message was fully revealed and confirmed, the supernatural scaffolding was no longer required.
What Remains for Us Today?
As we study scriptures like I Corinthians 13, we learn that these temporary, miraculous spiritual gifts (like prophecy, tongues, and supernatural knowledge) were destined to "fail," "cease," and "vanish away." Those words cannot be overlooked when we are studying about the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirt. Nor can we ignore v.10 that reveals partial (incomplete or imperfect) things would be replaced with something "perfect." Once the complete, perfect revelation of God's Word was delivered, the supernatural gifts were no longer necessary.
Now we have the fully confirmed, inspired Word of God, miracles, signs, and wonders have passed away. God's word is fully authenticated (II Timothy 3:16-17). However, this does not mean God is absent! While the supernatural signs have ceased, the natural works (ergon) and fruit of the Holy Spirit remain active today. Today, God works through:
The Personal Indwelling of the Holy Spirit:Â Every baptized believer receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), who strengthens us from within. He provides strength, comfort and peace.
The Fruit of the Spirit: The Spirit works through us to produce tangible ergon in our daily lives. As Paul writes in Galatians 5:22-23, this fruit is "love, joy, peace, (patience) longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." These are natural works (deeds) that help us shine our light.
Conformation to the Word: As James reminds us, we are called to be "doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22). Our lives are to be defined by good works that glorify our Father in heaven.
We may not see the parting of a sea, or dead men walking the streets, but we see something just as powerful: the transforming power of the Gospel converting a sinner, and the indwelling Spirit producing active, beautiful works of faith in the lives of His saints. We shouldn't long for the impartial and incomplete. We must leave those first principles and go on to perfection (Hebrews 6:1-2).
Ultimately, while the temporary first-century miracles, signs, and wonders have passed away, the complete and fully confirmed Word of God stands forever as our unchanging foundation. We challenge you to open your Bible this week and dive deeper into these truths, examining the Scriptures daily to see how perfectly God authenticated His saving message. Let us not be idle listeners, but active doers of the Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our lives from the inside out. By anchoring ourselves in the truth, we can consistently bear the beautiful fruit of love, joy, and goodness—showing the world through our daily works (ergon) that the power of the Gospel is just as alive and transformative today as it has ever been.
You are loved.
Ray Reynolds