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Writer's pictureEdward D. Andrews
1 minute ago9 min read

Miracles, Cessation of Sign Gifts


Do the Sign Gifts Continue, or Have They Ceased?


Miracles hold a significant place in biblical history, particularly as they served to confirm divine revelation. Miracles in Scripture were not random displays of power but were often associated with the introduction of new truth from Jehovah. These divine acts were used to authenticate the authority of key figures like Moses, the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles. For example, when Jehovah commissioned Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, He gave Moses miraculous signs to confirm his calling (Exodus 4:1-9). Similarly, when Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, the miraculous fire from heaven confirmed that Jehovah was the one true God (1 Kings 18:36-39).


In the New Testament, miracles served to confirm the identity and mission of Jesus, as well as the message of the apostles. Hebrews 2:3-4 explains that the salvation announced by the Lord was confirmed "by those who heard him," with Jehovah testifying to it by "signs, wonders, and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." The purpose of these miraculous signs was to establish the truth of the gospel and confirm the authority of the apostles as messengers of Christ (Acts 2:22).


The importance of miracles in this context raises the question of whether these gifts, particularly the apostolic "sign gifts" such as healing, speaking in tongues, and raising the dead, continue today or whether they ceased with the apostles. This debate has theological and apologetic significance, especially in light of the fact that the New Testament miracles uniquely confirmed the truth claims of Christ and the apostles.



Arguments for the Continuation of Miracles


Some argue that miracles continue in the Church today and are not confined to the apostolic era. This perspective is based on several key points:


  1. Miracles are recorded throughout redemptive history, from Genesis to Revelation, and it is argued that there is no clear indication that they would cease arbitrarily with the apostles. Jehovah performed miracles to reveal His will and power, and proponents of this view see no reason why such miracles would not continue.

  2. Jehovah does not change. Malachi 3:6 declares, "I, Jehovah, do not change." Hebrews 13:8 affirms that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Based on the unchanging nature of God, it is argued that His willingness to perform miracles remains constant.

  3. Jesus spoke of continuing miracles, promising that "whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these" (John 14:12). Additionally, in the Great Commission recorded in Mark 16:17-18, Jesus said that signs such as casting out demons, speaking in new tongues, and healing would accompany believers as they preached the gospel.

  4. Miracles manifest the greatness and glory of Jehovah, and serve to deliver His people and communicate His messages. The parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14:21-22, the healing of the blind man in John 9:1-7, and the miraculous deliverance of Peter from prison in Acts 12 are examples of miracles that met specific needs in the lives of God’s people.


This view emphasizes that the same needs for miracles exist today, especially in contexts where the gospel is being proclaimed in areas of spiritual darkness. Miracles, therefore, are seen as ongoing demonstrations of Jehovah’s power and presence.



The Argument for the Cessation of Miracles


On the other hand, many scholars and theologians argue that the special gift of miracles, particularly the apostolic sign gifts, ceased with the close of the apostolic era. This position is based on several key points:


  1. Miracles Were Clusters in Biblical History While miracles are recorded throughout the Bible, they are not evenly distributed. Instead, they occur in clusters during three specific periods:

    • The Mosaic period (the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings)

    • The prophetic period (the ministries of Elijah and Elisha)

    • The apostolic period (the ministries of Jesus and the apostles).


These clusters correspond to periods when Jehovah was revealing significant new stages in His redemptive plan. During the Mosaic period, miracles were necessary to deliver Israel from Egypt and sustain them in the wilderness. In the prophetic period, miracles were used to call Israel back from idolatry. In the apostolic period, miracles confirmed the inauguration of the new covenant through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:3-4). The purpose of miracles in each of these periods was to confirm new revelation and validate Jehovah’s messengers.


  1. God’s Changelessness Does Not Imply Unchanging Acts While Jehovah’s nature is unchanging (Malachi 3:6), His actions and methods of working in the world have varied according to His redemptive plan. For example, in Genesis 2:16-17, Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a command that no longer applies to humanity after the Fall. Similarly, under the Mosaic Law, sacrifices of animals were required for the atonement of sins (Leviticus 16), but after Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, the need for animal sacrifices ceased (Hebrews 10:1-14). Likewise, the gift of miracles was necessary during the apostolic period to establish the authority of the apostles and confirm the truth of the gospel. Once the revelation of the New Testament was completed and confirmed, the need for such signs diminished.

  2. Apostolic Authority and Miracles The apostles were given unique authority by Christ to perform miracles as "the signs of an apostle" (2 Corinthians 12:12). These signs were not intended to be passed down through subsequent generations but were specific to the apostles and their immediate ministry. The apostles were commissioned to lay the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 2:20), and their authority was confirmed by the miraculous gifts they exercised, such as healing, raising the dead, and speaking in tongues (Acts 2:1-11; Acts 9:36-42). Once the foundation of the Church was laid and the revelation of the New Testament was complete, these sign gifts were no longer necessary.

  3. The Completion of Revelation With the death of the apostles and the completion of the New Testament canon, the purpose of sign gifts as confirmatory signs of new revelation ceased. Jude 3 speaks of "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints," indicating that divine revelation was completed with the apostolic generation. The writer of Hebrews, around 69 C.E., also refers to the message of salvation as something that had been "confirmed to us by those who heard" (Hebrews 2:3-4), implying that the miraculous signs confirming this message were already past.


The cessation of miracles is not an arbitrary event but is rooted in the specific purpose of these signs to confirm new revelation. Since Jehovah’s revelation in Christ and through the apostles is final and complete, there is no longer a need for further confirmatory miracles. This does not mean that Jehovah cannot or does not perform miracles today, but it does suggest that the specific gift of performing miracles as a sign of apostolic authority has ceased.



The Nature and Purpose of Apostolic Miracles


To understand the cessation of sign gifts, it is essential to examine the nature and purpose of the miracles performed by Jesus and the apostles. These miracles were characterized by several unique features that distinguish them from the purported miracles of today.


  1. Instantaneous Nature Apostolic miracles were always instantaneous. When Jesus or the apostles healed someone, the effects were immediate. For example, when Jesus healed a man who had been disabled for thirty-eight years, He simply commanded him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk," and the man was instantly healed (John 5:8-9). Similarly, when Peter healed a man lame from birth, the man’s feet and ankles were immediately strengthened, and he began to walk and leap (Acts 3:6-8).

  2. Infallibility New Testament miracles never failed. Jehovah does not fail, and neither did the miracles performed by Jesus and the apostles. There is no record of any failed miracle or of anyone who relapsed into their condition after being healed. Even when people were raised from the dead, such as Lazarus (John 11), they were fully restored to life, though they later died again when their natural time came. Modern claims of miracles, by contrast, often include partial or gradual healing, and there are numerous cases of individuals who relapse into their illness after supposedly being healed.

  3. Universal Success Apostolic miracles were successful on all kinds of conditions, including incurable diseases and even death. Jesus healed people born blind (John 9), lepers (Matthew 8:2-4), and individuals possessed by demons (Matthew 17:14-18). In some cases, He healed entire crowds of people who came to Him (Matthew 14:35-36). Likewise, the apostles performed miracles that demonstrated their divine authority over all kinds of sickness and even death (Acts 9:36-42; Acts 20:9-12).

  4. Confirmatory Purpose The primary purpose of these miracles was to confirm the apostles’ message as divinely inspired. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:12, "The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works." These miracles were not performed for entertainment or personal benefit but served to establish the truth of the gospel and the authority of the apostles as Jehovah’s chosen representatives (Acts 14:3). Once the message of salvation was confirmed and the New Testament revelation was complete, there was no longer a need for these confirmatory signs.



The Problem with Modern Claims of Sign Gifts


Many who argue for the continuation of sign gifts today fail to distinguish between the "fact" of miracles and the "gift" of miracles. While Jehovah can and does perform miracles in His sovereign will, the specific gift of performing miracles as seen in the apostolic era was temporary and served a specific purpose. There are several key issues with modern claims of miraculous gifts:


  1. Lack of Apostolic Confirmation Modern claims of miracles often lack the clear confirmatory purpose of the apostolic miracles. Whereas the apostles performed miracles to authenticate their message as divinely inspired, modern miracle workers often seek to draw attention to themselves or to validate their ministry without grounding their claims in the authoritative revelation of Scripture.

  2. Absence of Instantaneous and Infallible Miracles Unlike the miracles of Jesus and the apostles, which were immediate and unfailing, modern miracles often involve partial or gradual healing. This is inconsistent with the nature of true biblical miracles, which were instantaneous and complete.

  3. No New Revelation The New Testament makes it clear that divine revelation ceased with the apostles. If there is no new revelation, there is no need for new miracles to confirm it. Modern claims of prophecy and miraculous gifts should be viewed with skepticism, especially since the biblical standard for prophecy is absolute accuracy (Deuteronomy 18:22). Since the New Testament is complete, the role of miracles in confirming new revelation has ended.



The Finality of Christ’s Revelation


Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of Jehovah (Hebrews 1:1-2). Through His life, death, and resurrection, He revealed the fullness of Jehovah’s plan of redemption. The apostles were entrusted with the task of proclaiming this revelation, and Jehovah confirmed their message through miraculous signs and wonders (Acts 2:22; Hebrews 2:3-4). Once the foundation of the Church was laid and the New Testament revelation was complete, the need for sign gifts ceased.


While Jehovah can still perform miracles in accordance with His will, the specific gift of performing miracles as a sign of apostolic authority has ended. The Church today is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and the Bible provides everything we need for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, we should not seek new revelation or miraculous signs but should rest in the sufficiency of Scripture and the completed work of Jesus Christ.



About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).


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